The indiana state university (ISU) department of earth and environmental systems nagpra coordinatorswill use nagpra documentation and consultation grant funds to facilitate consultation with indiana…

The indiana state university (ISU) department of earth and environmental systems nagpra coordinatorswill use nagpra documentation and consultation grant funds to facilitate consultation with indiana affiliatedtribal nations. The purpose of consultation is to respectfully work with our tribal partners to successfullyrepatriateancestors and associated funerary objects (afos) under isus control and in our possession. All ancestors andtheir belongings in our care came from archaeological sites within the modern indiana state boundary, therefore, our consultation efforts are focused towards the approximately sixty indigenous groups whose oral tradition andhistory suggest aboriginal ties to the state, either pre-columbian or post-european contact. Plannedconsultations will be conducted via phone, email, video calls, and in person meetings either at isus campus interre haute, indiana, or within the appropriate out-of-state tribal community. Because almost all federallyrecognized tribes formerly settled in indiana were forcibly removed in the early 19TH century, face-to-faceconsultation will require travel between current tribal lands, e.g., oklahoma reservations, and terre haute byeither isus nagpra coordinators or our tribal partners.funded activities will include travel expenses (lodging, per diem, and mileage) and stipends for eldersparticipating in consultation. Additionally, we will purchase culturally appropriate material to rehouse theancestors and their belongings based on requests received from our tribal partners. Finally, because faunalremains and human bone from archaeological contexts are not always easy to differentiateif askedwe intendto use grant funds to hire a qualified, experienced zooarchaeologist to ensure no ancestral remains are leftbehind after repatriation. The primary impact of this grant will be facilitating deferential consultation. As a result of this process, through the related funding activities described above such as rehousing and subject matter expert analyses, this grant will ensure the timely return of the ancestors and their belongings to their descendant communities.working with our tribal partners schedules, such as the miami nation of oklahoma, the ultimate outcome willbe notice of inventory completion publications in the federal register, an important and necessary step in therepatriation process.