Lincoln (Neb.) - Aug. 7, 1998 - The University of Nebraska- Lincoln has forwarded a draft report on its inventory of Native American remains to authorities and an independent consultant investigating the university's compliance with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
The report was submitted today by Peer Moore-Jansen, an independent consultant retained by the university to examine and refine the inventory of human remains in collections of the anthropology department, the University of Nebraska State Museum and other campus units. The document, which was commissioned by the university in May, has been forwarded to the Nebraska State Patrol and a Robert Grimit, a Lincoln attorney retained by the university to investigate compliance with federal and state laws.
In the report, Moore-Jansen, a biological anthropologist at Wichita State University, identified some human remains on campus that might be eligible for inclusion in the university's NAGPRA inventory, compiled in 1995.
"Only a very small segment of the materials inventoried fall in the category of inconclusive archeological or probable Native American Indian affiliation," Moore-Jansen stated in the report.
Priscilla Grew, vice chancellor for research and NAGPRA coordinator, said the Campus NAGPRA Committee will review the findings to determine what remains qualify for inclusion under NAGPRA compliance.
"This information will help us work toward addressing the deeply felt public concerns about the university's handling of human remains. We share those concerns," Grew said.
"The information in the Moore-Jansen report will be extremely helpful as we begin filing the necessary addenda to meet all the requirements of the Repatriation Act," said Richard Wood, general counsel for the university. "And the report will be valuable to the ongoing internal and external investigations into this matter."
The report concludes the "vast majority of the skeletal
material represents . . . biological and anatomical supply
teaching specimens and does not warrant further inquiry."
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