University Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge with gratitude that the meeting place of California State University, Bakersfield is the traditional territory of the Kitanemuk (Ki-ta-ne-muk) people of the Tejon Tribe, a place their nation has called home, since time immemorial.
The land on which we gather today, and its surrounding areas, are still home to many Indigenous communities. We are grateful for all the Indigenous people who continue to care for and remain interconnected with this land. We promise to be conscientious stewards of this land for the future generations.
Learn more about CSUB's land acknowledgement.
Campus Compliance Efforts
CSUB is committed to complying with NAGPRA through the following ongoing efforts and initiatives.
- Submitted our campus summary to Federal NAGPRA which contains all campus-controlled collections.
- President Harper announced our new systemwide policy for NAGPRA.
NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA
What is NAGPRA?
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act requires federal agencies and institutions that receive federal funds (including universities) to repatriate or transfer Native American human remains and cultural items by:
- Consulting with lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
- Protecting items that may be removed from Federal or tribal lands.
- Identifying and reporting holdings in inventories and summaries.
- Providing notice prior to repatriation.
What is CalNAGPRA?
In 2001, the State Legislature passed AB-978, the California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001 (Steinberg, 2001), requiring all state agencies and museums that receive state funding and that have possession or control over collections of human remains or cultural items to provide a process for the identification and repatriation of these items to the appropriate tribes. The bill also created a Repatriation Oversight Commission with oversight authority. The intent of the legislation was to cover gaps in the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (Udall, 1990) specific to the State of California.
On September 25, 2020, Governor Newsom signed AB-275 (Ramos, 2020) into law, which amended CalNAGPRA and became effective on January 1, 2021. In AB-275, the State Legislature added additional Commission responsibilities, including maintaining a list of California Indian tribes and their state aboriginal territories, adopting mediation procedures, and publishing notices of completion of preliminary inventories and summaries on the Commission website.
(Source: CA Native American Heritage Commission)
CSU Systemwide NAGPRA Policy
The CSU adopted a historic Systemwide NAGPRA Policy to ensure consistent, timely compliance and repatriation across all campuses. Key elements include full-time coordinators, campus and systemwide committees, physical surveys, and robust Tribal consultation.
Our Commitment / University Role
CSUB focuses resources on the repatriation of items in our care. We prohibit or suspend new intake of NAGPRA-related collections as needed to prioritize compliance. We engage in ongoing consultation with California Native American Tribes.
Additional Resources
- 2022 California State Auditor Report on CSU Compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA Webpage
- Association on American Indian Affairs
- California Native American Heritage Commission Webpage
- California State University System NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA Webpage
- CSU Campus Collections Map Webpage
- National NAGPRA Training Videos
- National NAGPRA Webpage
- Native American Heritage Commission Inventories and Summaries Database
- US Code Passage of NAGPRA Act Webpage
Contact Us
NAGPRA/CALNAGPRA Coordinator
