Nagpra project grant

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History received a $150,000 Project Grant from the National Park Service under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) program (CFDA 15.922), awarded October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2027. Under this award, the museum will provide consultation, documentation, and repatriation services for Native American cultural items, including ancestral remains and sacred objects. The grant supports the museum's efforts to facilitate collaboration with tribal communities and enable the identification and return of culturally significant materials to federally recognized Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.

The NAGPRA program, administered by the National Park Service National Office, funds eligible institutions—including museums, federally recognized Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations—to support consultation, documentation, and repatriation activities related to Native American human remains and cultural items. This award represents typical funding within the program's consultation and documentation track, which generally ranges from $50,000 to $100,000 for collaborative projects involving museum holdings review and coordination with tribal nations.