NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA

NAGPRA Banner

San José State University houses archaeological collections that contain human remains, artifacts, and funerary objects in consultation with Native American Tribes and Indigenous peoples. With the ultimate goal of complete repatriation, our campus is committed to compliance with federal and state laws including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA), California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001 (CalNAGPRA), California Assembly Bill 389 (“Native American Cultural Preservation”) of 2023, and the recently implemented CSU Systemwide NAGPRA Policy, which went into effect July 1, 2025.

The collections subject to NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA are housed in a secure facility on campus and are overseen by the Office of the Provost. Associated personnel include the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Vincent Del Casino, Repatriation Coordinator and Tribal Liaison Alisha Marie Ragland, and NAGPRA Specialist Charlotte Sunseri. 

San José State University consults with culturally affiliated Tribes about the care and repatriation of cultural remains and ancestors, in compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA. We respect the sovereignty of each Tribe, strive to build strong working relationships, and aim to address injustices regarding the historical collection of Tribes’ ancestors’ cultural and human remains.

2023 Audit Report

June 29, 2023 Audit Report: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

CSU Systemwide NAGPRA Policy

Letter from President Teniente-Matson

View President Teniente-Matson's June 29, 2023 letter [pdf] to the SJSU community.

University Statement - June 29, 2023

“The university accepts the findings described in the State Auditor’s Report and is committed to honoring and respecting the first inhabitants of this land. We will continue working with Tribal descendents to fulfill our obligations under CalNAGPRA. We are dedicated to intentional and authentic relationship-building and consultation with local tribal communities.

We continue to make progress in our efforts to support native and indigenous students, faculty and staff on our campus with the establishment of the Native American Indigenous Student Success Center (NAISSC), and the hiring of the Center’s first program director. We also deeply appreciate the leadership of the Gathering of Academic Indigenous and Native Americans (GAIN), and we will continue to deepen these relationships, which bring so much value to our campus community.”

Statement from the CSU Chancellor's Office on State Auditor's Report

Deep Dive in 5 with SJSU Tribal Liaison

Learn more about NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA in our Deep Dive in 5 interview with Alisha Marie Ragland, SJSU Tribal Liaison.

Communications Archive

Land Acknowledgement

We demonstrate our awareness and respect for these collections and their meaning by beginning all major meetings and conferences with our Land Acknowledgement.