Facing policies aimed at eroding their identity and leaving them landless from the late 1800S through the 20THCENTURY, the little shell tribe of chippewa indians of montana persevered, achieving…

Facing policies aimed at eroding their identity and leaving them landless from the late 1800S through the 20THCENTURY, the little shell tribe of chippewa indians of montana persevered, achieving federal recognition in 2019AFTER over a century of effort. Due to these circumstances, the tribe currently possesses few items of culturalimportance to the tribe, and thus sees the nagpra process as critical to the maintenance of its identity andsovereignty. Since federal recognition, the tribe s tribal historic preservation office has experienced a surgein nagpra consultation requests, highlighting the urgent need for a formalized nagpra program with comprehensiveprotocols for both external and internal consultations. In 2023, leveraging the national park service s nagpraconsultation grant award, the tribe launched an initiative to establish a comprehensive, long-term nagpraprogram. Key accomplishments included identifying culturally affiliated objects and remains in institutions, cultivating and maintaining consultation relationships with holding institutions, creating a dedicated databasefor managing and tracking these items, establishing a tribal nagpra committee, and developing consultationprotocols.building on these achievements, the tribe, in its second year, is set to further enhance the database to ensureit becomes a more accessible and sustainable tool. By refining the databases user interface and functionality aswell as continuing to track data on culturally affiliated items in holding institutions, IT aims to become anindispensable resource for the tribes nagpra committee and the broader community. Additionally, the project willextend its research and documentation efforts by seeking new institutional partnerships beyond those of the firstyear of the award, thus expanding the scope of identified culturally affiliated items. This progressionunderscores the tribes commitment to deepening its cultural heritage management and repatriation efforts.prioritizing the repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural patrimony remains paramount. The tribe plans touse the nagpra consultation grant funds to enhance its nagpra program further by updating consultation protocolsbased on feedback from the first year of this project, refining inquiry letters, developing a prioritized list ofculturally affiliated objects and remains for repatriation, and improving internal guidelines to streamlinefuture repatriation efforts. An emphasis on community engagement and awareness will ensure the tribe s membersare informed and involved in the process, strengthening tribal identity and sovereignty. This year s initiative not only targets the long-term goal of repatriating cultural items but also lays asustainable foundation for ongoing nagpra compliance and cultural heritage management. Through strategic databaseenhancements, expanded research, and strengthened institutional partnerships, the tribe is setting new standardsfor how newly recognized tribes can navigate the nagpra process to reclaim their heritage and affirm theirsovereignty.