The Denver Museum of Nature & Science received a nearly $75,000 grant from the National Park Service for the implementation of NAGPRA, specifically to address 36 “culturally unidentifiable” human remains and associated funerary objects in the Museum’s possession from the greater Rocky Mountains region. With these funds, the Museum will host two, one-day videoconferenced meetings to conduct consultations with more than 80 Federally-recognized Native American tribes with historical and cultural connections to the Rocky Mountains, Southwest, and Plains. The Museum’s videoconferencing capacity is based on its proven “Scientists in Action” distance learning program.
The goal of this project is to determine, through an innovative use of technology, the final disposition for these particular human remains and objects taken from an array of land types and historical contexts. Additionally, with the current nation-wide discussion about culturally unidentifiable human remains and associated funerary objects, this project aims to document areas of consensus and variance that can inform the national dialogue.
