In this episode, Megan Kleeschulte (University of Tennessee Knoxville) talks to us about her recent work studying the awareness and implication of NAGPRA laws among medical examiners and coroners (ME/C) working across the United States.

The Native American Graves Protection And Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, established rules governing the handling and return of Indigenous human remains and associated funerary objects owned or possessed by them. For a Master’s project, Megan interviewed and surveyed ME/C officers to discover the level to which they were aware of NAGPRA legislation and what resources or information they needed to carry out proper procedures.How are practitioners, academics, medical examiners and coroners working right now towards adaptable and inclusive communications and procedures for analysis and repatriation of human remains?

How do we include Native tribes in this process, and how do we learn from the past when NAGPRA was first passed? How do we make sure Native tribes are included and heard from at every step of this process as we’re working on how to implement these laws within the medical-legal system? How does Megan want to contribute to better collaborations and consultations between Native tribes and ME/C offices for her current PhD work?

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Show notes

You can find Megan on her student page if you have questions for her.

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