July 29, 2024
In April a group of Native American tribes and The University of Alabama collaborated to repatriate the ancestral remains of 10,245 individuals and 1,520 lots of funerary objects to the Tribes, likely the single largest repatriation of ancestral remains in the history of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA. The physical repatriation followed months of close collaboration between UA and the Tribes in rehousing and respectfully preparing the ancestors and artifacts for transfer. Most of the remains and artifacts had been excavated from Moundville and other sites in Tuscaloosa and Hale counties many decades ago.
This significant, large-scale repatriation was made possible through a productive partnership between UA and The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, The Chickasaw Nation, The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
UA and the Tribes are currently preparing for a second repatriation and look forward to a continued alliance in preserving Moundville’s rich historical and cultural heritage and in returning ancestral remains and artifacts to descendent communities in accordance with NAGPRA.