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- By Native News Online Staff
The Department of the Interior is proposing updates to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and will hold three online consultation meetings this month for tribal members and Native Hawaiians.
The proposed changes are meant to simplify and fix issues that exist under the current regulations. According to letter sent to tribal and Native Hawaiian leaders, the consultations will also seek input about whether the current organizational placement of the NAGPRA program (i.e., within the National Park Service) is working well, or if placement within the Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, or elsewhere, would be preferable.
Registration for the online meetings, which begin the afternoon of Aug. 9, can be found on the Bureau of Indian Affairs website. DOI will also host online consultation meetings on Aug. 13 and Aug. 19.
The DOI is also accepting written comments until the end of the month. If you would like to provide written comments, email them to nagpra _ [email protected] by Aug. 31, 2021, 11:59 p.m. EST. If you have questions about these consultation sessions, contact Melanie O'Brien, National NAGPRA Program, at (202) 354-2204.
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