Restoring and honoring the inupiat past documentation and repatriation planning for 3,909 cultural items at indiana university

The Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government received a $150,000 project grant from the Department of the Interior National Park Service under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA, CFDA 15.922) effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. This award supports documentation and repatriation planning activities for approximately 3,909 Inupiat cultural items currently held at Indiana University. The project deliverables include consultation with the university institution, systematic documentation of the cultural items to establish cultural affiliation and facilitate repatriation eligibility determinations, and development of repatriation planning protocols in accordance with NAGPRA requirements.

This award aligns with the NAGPRA program's core mission to provide grants to Indian tribes for identification, documentation, and repatriation efforts of Native American cultural resources. The two-year project timeline allows the tribal government to conduct the necessary archival research, consultation coordination, and administrative planning required to transition these Inupiat cultural items from institutional custody to community stewardship and potential reburial in Alaska.