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We have seven collections from southern Utah identified archaeologically as the Fremont people that are
currently filed with NPS as culturally unidentifiable (MNI=54, AFO=942). However in consultations with
25 tribes, we have determined culturally affiliation with the Pueblo tribes, the Navajo, and the Southern
Paiute of Utah. The UC NAGPRA Coordinating Committee requested further information before they
would make a final decision on supporting these affiliations; this is our top priority and our last large
inventory to update.

There are 6 sets of human remains that are culturally unidentifiable because the original donation of
human remains lacked provenience information beyond “Native American” or “Plains.” Other human
remains that have not been resolved for NAGPRA eligibility include remains used previously for teaching
from archaeological collections before NAGPRA was implemented. The Physical Anthropology
department stored them by skeletal element and did not keep individuals together by context. After
NAGPRA passed they were returned to the Fowler Museum, but by then many had lost their context and
we don’t know where they came from. Forensic anthropologists have determined that 56 individuals show
diagnostic traits identifying them as Native American, but this includes all the American continents. We
have not determined if they should be included on the NAGPRA inventory due to the lack of evidence to
date. The loss of context due to poor curation and student handling has had lasting effects that we may
never resolve.

Assessment of UCLA Collections

Overall 89% (or 167) of the NAGPRA eligible collections at UCLA derive from California. Of these
California collections, all but two have been claimed by federally recognized tribes. Two California
collections are currently culturally unidentifiable one from Emeryville shellmound, which would be
culturally affiliated with the non-federally recognized Ohlone and another from San Bernardino County
that currently lacks enough provenience to determine cultural affiliation. Consultation is ongoing. The
vast majority of our collections come from Southern California, from Santa Barbara to San Diego
Counties and extending into the Inland Empire. Outside of California, 17 NAGPRA collections originated
from Utah and Arizona and one from Hawaii. We potentially have sacred items from Alaska, the Plains
and other regions dependent on tribal consultation and their determinations.

Tribal Consultations and Interactions

We have consulted or attempted to consult with more than 43 tribes from Southern California, the
Southwest and Great Basin in the past three years. Perhaps 10% did not respond to our request at all.
Around 60% declined to consult further, but suggested another tribe to reach out to for consultation. It is
hard to provide an average of tribes we consult or culturally affiliate with per collection as it relates to age
(the older the remains the more tribes are likely to be descendants), and sometimes to location as tribes
have been fragmented by the Rancheria and Reservation system.

We submitted 13 Notices over the last three years that have been claimed. Six of them were the result of
an innovative collaboration with 10 tribes and two state agencies (Caltrans and State Parks). UCLA
acknowledged that the majority of their NAGPRA responsibility was to our closest tribes,
Gabrielino/Tongva, Fernandeno/Tataviam and the Chumash, all but one of them non-federally
recognized. Our Chancellor and his administration decided to set aside a small plot of land on UCLA
property to allow for the repatriation and reburial of these communities’ ancestors with the assistance of
federally recognized Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and San Manuel Band of Serrano Indians
(who were the lead tribes and with whom we have a Memorandum of Agreement on the care of the
reburial land). Together UCLA, State Parks, and Caltrans repatriated 2,294 minimum number of
individuals, 101,810 AFO and 17,003 UFO objects with over 100 tribal members, UCLA faculty, staff,
and administration in attendance for the reburial. While, we have kept the press to a minimum per tribal