California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001: California State University: burial sites: human remains.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on implementation timelines or consequences for disagreements between CSU and tribes.

California Native American Graves Protection Act: Reburial Policy for CSU

This law requires California State University to create a policy for the respectful reburial of Native American human remains on its land, involving consultation with local tribes.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the California State University (CSU) to develop a policy for the reburial of Native American human remains that have been repatriated on CSU-owned land.
• The CSU must consult with culturally affiliated California Indian tribes when deciding where to rebury remains on their land.
• Any proposed location for reburial needs mutual agreement between the CSU and the culturally affiliated tribes.

Who It Names or Affects

• California State University
• Culturally affiliated California Indian tribes

Terms To Know

Repatriation

Returning human remains or cultural objects to Native American tribes that originally owned them.

Culturally affiliated

Tribes with a historical and cultural connection to the land where reburial will take place.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify when or how CSU must implement these policies.
• It is unclear what happens if there is disagreement between CSU and tribes about reburial locations.

Official Summary Text

AB 977, Ramos.
California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001: California State University: burial sites: human remains.
Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The California State University comprises 23 institutions of higher education located throughout the state.
The California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001 requires all agencies and museums, which is defined to include higher education institutions, that receive state funding and have possession or control over collections of California Native American human remains and associated funerary objects to inventory those remains and objects for repatriation to the appropriate California Indian tribes, as specified.
Existing law requires the California State University to
comply with additional requirements regarding the handling, maintenance, and repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural items under the California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001, including adopting and implementing policies and procedures on the systemwide requirements for submitting, processing, and implementing claims for the repatriation of human remains and cultural items, as specified.
This bill would require the California State University to develop a policy for the reburial of Native American human remains that have been repatriated on land owned by the California State University, as provided. The bill would require the policy to require the California State University to consult with California Indian tribes, including on specified topics. The bill would also require the policy to require that any proposed location for the reburial of repatriated Native American human remains be mutually agreed upon by the California State University and the California Indian tribes that are culturally affiliated with the potential reburial land.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF