Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

NAGPRA
CFDA 15.922 Active Project Grants (Discretionary)
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Program Funding

Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.

Latest annual funding (estimated)
$3M FY2026
$1.5M
FY17
$1.7M
FY18
$1.5M
FY19
$1.8M
FY20
$1.9M
FY21
$2.1M
FY22
$3.3M
FY23
$2.7M
FY24
$3M
FY25*
$3M
FY26*
* estimated

Funded Projects

Examples of what this program has supported.

FY2025 1) Repatriation of Ancestral Remains: a museum successfully repatriated the remains of numerous ancestors and associated funerary objects to a Native American tribe. This effort involved careful coordination, respectful handling, and a meaningful reburial ceremony, providing closure and honoring the cultural heritage of the tribe. 2) Cultural Consultation and Documentation: An academic institution collaborated with various tribes to document and catalog cultural items from a significant archaeological site. This project involved detailed consultations, updating inventories, and ensuring that cultural items were accurately identified and documented, facilitating future repatriation efforts. 3) Collaborative Projects: A tribal council worked with multiple museums to repatriate culturally significant items. These collaborative efforts ensured that items were returned to their rightful communities, where they could be reintegrated into cultural practices and ceremonies.

Program Objective

To provide grants to museums to assist in the consultation on and documentation of Native American human remains and cultural items; to provide grants to Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, as defined in the Act, to assist in identifying human remains and cultural items; and to provide grants to museums, Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to assist in the repatriation of human remains and cultural items.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

  • State governments
  • Local governments
  • Federally recognized tribes
  • Native American organizations

An eligible applicant is:

Museum - any institution or State or local government agency (including any institution of higher learning) that receives Federal funds and has possession of, or control over, Native American cultural items. Such term does not include the Smithsonian Institution or any other Federal agency. [25 USC 3001 (8)].

Indian Tribe: Any tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including any Alaska Native village (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. [25 USC 3001 (7)]. The Department of the Interior has interpreted this definition as applying to over 560 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages that are recognized by the United States Government. This list does not include Alaska regional or village corporations, although Alaska Native villages may subcontract work under grants to such corporations.

Native Hawaiian Organization: Any organization which serves and represents the interests of Native Hawaiians, has as a primary and stated purpose the provision of services to Native Hawaiians, and has expertise in Native Hawaiian affairs, and shall include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei. [25 USC 3001 (11)].

Beneficiaries

  • 20
  • 4
  • 5
  • 9
  • 8

State, local, public nonprofit institution/organization, other public institution/organization, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government, Native American organization, American Indian.

How to Apply

Application Procedure

Funding announcements for this program, along with registration procedures, application packages and instructions, points of contact, and procedures for submitting applications will be available on www.grants.gov.

Award Procedure

Proposals received in response to announcements on www.grants.gov are reviewed through a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the announcement. Awards may be made to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.

Varies depending on the type and complexity of the project. Further information will be available for each specific project at the time the funding opportunity announcement is posted on www.grants.gov. Generally, applications are reviewed and approved or disapproved by the end of the Federal fiscal year.

Program details & compliance

Use of Funds

Allowed Uses

Grant funds must be used for CONSULTATION, DOCUMENTATION, or REPATRIATION under NAGPRA.

Consultation and documentation projects should lead to determining control, treatment, and disposition of NAGPRA cultural items. Consultation projects support efforts related to compiling or revising a NAGPRA inventory and making or responding to requests for items in a NAGPRA summary. Documentation projects support determining the geographical origin, cultural affiliation, and other basic facts surrounding the acquisition of Native American cultural items.

Repatriation means the transfer of control of Native American human remains and/or cultural items to lineal descendants, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Repatriation includes disposition of culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains (CUI) according to 43 C.F.R. 10.11. Repatriation projects defray costs associated with the packaging, transportation, contamination removal, reburial, and/or storage of NAGPRA-related human remains and/or cultural items.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity posted with the funding opportunity announcement has further information regarding eligible activities.

Required Documentation

Determined at the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) level.

Eligible museums must have completed a written summary of their Native American collections and an inventory of Native American human remains and associated funerary objects in their collections to the National Park Service and the appropriate Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations by the deadlines in 43 CFR Part 10.

For repatriation grants, publication under 43 CFR Part 10 of a Notice of Inventory Completion or Notice of Intent to Repatriate in the Federal Register is required.

Reporting & Compliance

Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts

  • Subpart B — General Provisions
  • Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart E — Cost Principles
  • Subpart F — Audit Requirements

Contacts

NAGPRA Grant Program
202-354-2201
National Park Service 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240
Data from SAM.gov Federal Assistance Listings. Source published: 2025-09-02. Spec v1.0. Last synced: 2026-05-30 02:33:33.