UC NAGPRA Implementation and Oversight Committees

Section 8026 of the California Health and Safety Code requires the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) to nominate members to the University of California (UC) Systemwide and campus Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Implementation and Oversight Committees. The NAHC has established a Process and created a nomination subcommittee for this purpose.

On June 24, 2021, the Native American Heritage Commission approved nominees to the UC Systemwide and Campus NAGPRA Implementation and Oversight Committees. A list of the current nominees is available here.

Open Solicitations

The NAHC is currently accepting nominations, both UC and tribal, for the UC NAGPRA Oversight Committees. Minimum statutory qualifications are here and more information on the Committees is available here (PDF) and here (excel).

The following Committees have been established and the NAHC will continue to accept nominations in the event a Committee requires a new member.

UC Systemwide

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

UCLA

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

The following campuses are not establishing Committees at this time but the NAHC will continue to accept nominations:

UC Irvine

UC Merced

UC Santa Cruz

UC San Francisco

The NAHC will accept nominations for all Committees on a rolling basis and will nominate members to Committees upon the request of the University of California or a campus.

Nomination Process

Interested parties should submit completed nomination packets to the NAHC via email to nahc@nahc.ca.gov or mail to 1550 Harbor Blvd, Suite 100, West Sacramento, CA 95691 (submitted electronically or postmarked) by the due date indicated above. The NAHC nomination subcommittee will review nominations and provide final qualifying nominations with recommendations to the University of California regents or their regents’ designee.

Candidates may self-nominate (so long as required letters or resolutions of support are included), and nomination forms should indicate all committees nominees are willing to serve on.

To be considered, nomination packets must include:

  1. A completed Nomination Form (fillable form here) with contact information of the nominating party and the nominee;
  2. A short biography of the nominee;
  3. A tribal resolution or organizational/institutional letter of support;* and
  4. A list of at least three references, with names, telephone numbers, and email addresses for each.

Resumes or CVs of the nominee may be included in the nomination packet along with the biography.

*Either of these documents of support are acceptable, and are not restricted to a certain type of nominee. In general, tribal resolutions for nominees, whether Tribal or UC, will receive greater deference in the appointment process. UC Nominees may include letters of support from sources outside of the UC and Tribal Nominees may include letters of support from non-tribal sources.

Tribal Nominees: Support letters or tribal resolutions for tribal nominees should be from Tribal governments, tribal community organizations or Institutional leadership organizations, include the strengths of the candidate, as well as any information that might be relevant to the NAHC reviewing committee.

UC Nominees: Support letters for UC nominees should include professional experience demonstrating the ability to work in collaboration with Native American tribes successfully on issues related to repatriation or museum collection management.

Incomplete packets will not be considered by the nomination Panel.

Within fourteen (14) days of the NAHC’s receipt of notice that the UC seeks to establish a systemwide or campus committee, NAHC staff shall publish nomination materials on the NAHC website and provide notice to the NAHC contact list, tribal communities and interested stakeholders.

The nomination period shall remain open for no less than forty-five (45) days. The nomination subcommittee shall endeavor to provide all qualifying nominations with preferences to the University of California regents or the regents’ designee within forty-five (45) days of the close of the nomination period.

Nomination materials shall be submitted via email or mail to the NAHC.

Qualifications

Tribal Nominees

Tribal Nominees must be a member of a federally or non-federally recognized California Indian tribe as defined by Section 8012 of the Health and Safety Code. And have at least five years of experience in any of the following:

  • Repatriation of human remains and cultural items pursuant to the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act;
  • Cultural resources protection under tribal, state, and federal law; or
  • Consultation with state and federal entities and agencies.

Preference: Preference shall be given to members of a California Indian tribe.

UC Nominees

UC Nominees must be Affiliated with or employed by the University of California and have the following:

  1. A graduate degree in any of the following: Archaeology, Anthropology, Native American Studies, Ethnic Studies, Law, Sociology, Environmental Studies, or History, with a focus in California; and
  2. A minimum of five years’ experience working in his or her field of study.

Note: At least two UC nominees to the Systemwide one UC nominee to the Campus Committee(s) must be affiliated with an American Indian or Native American Studies program.

You are encouraged to submit a nomination if the nominee meets a majority of the requirements, even if you are unsure as to whether they meet a specific requirement. In the event that you are uncertain as to whether a nominee may be qualified under a certain requirement, please include a brief explanatory statement supporting their qualifications in your nomination packet. The NAHC shall consider all supporting materials and narrative to make a final determination of eligibility.

Preference: Preference shall be given to members who have demonstrated, through their professional experience, the ability to work in collaboration with Native American tribes successfully on issues related to repatriation or museum collection management.