Human remains are defined as bodies and parts of bodies of once-living people of the species Homo sapiens and include whole or part skeletons, individual bones or fragments of bone and teeth.

 

All human remains in our care are handled with the utmost dignity and respect at all times.

 

Research and teaching involving Native American human remains and artifacts will only be conducted with the documented permission of the living descendants or, if unavailable, the tribal authorities (as identified by the California Native American Heritage Commission or the NAGPRA Review Committee established by the National Park Service) of the Native American communities identified as the rightful owners of those remains and artifacts.

BIOANTHROPOLOGY LABORATORY PROTOCOL

	We offer consulting services to public and private organizations in the excavation and/or analysis of recent and archeological human remains.  We reserve the right to turn down cases that we feel are outside of the realm of our expertise, beyond our ability to mitigate, or extremely politically charged.
	We offer assessments of the scientific value of human remains and make recommendations to the consulting agency concerning the most appropriate course of action (i.e., additional study, permanent curation, repatriation, etc.).

 

We recognize the ethical and legal necessity of preserving the rights of Native American tribes and communities regarding the Native American human remains and artifacts which the University holds or may hold in the future.  Part of the overall mission of this laboratory is the obligation to provide education and enlightenment about the past.  This laboratory is committed to conducting its scholarly and scientific inquiries in a manner that supports the preservation of the cultural identity of peoples and groups.

 

We will accept on a temporary basis Native American human remains or artifacts for the purposes of conducting NAGPRA compliance inventories for other institutions or for extended analyses for CEQA (California Public Resources Code Section 21000-21177)  or NHPA Section 106 projects.

 

Native American human remains or artifacts accepted for NAGPRA compliance inventories for outside institutions or as part of CEQA or NHPA Section 106 projects will be held only for the duration of the inventory or project.  The duration of the inventory or project must be specified by written agreement between the Bioanthropology Laboratory and the agencies involved.

 

Research projects involving Native American human remains or artifacts from CEQA or NHPA Section 106 projects will be limited in scope and duration by the guidelines issued by the California Native American Heritage Commission.  University personnel may make recommendations regarding the laboratory study of such human remains or associated materials, but they shall then defer to the judgment of the appropriate tribal representatives appointed by the California Native American Heritage Commission.

 

As provided by California Public Resources Code 5097.991 it is the policy of the state that Native American remains and associated grave artifacts shall be repatriated unless the Native American Heritage Commission requests other disposition.

 

	We believe that only appropriately-trained personnel should be involved in the analysis of all human remains, whether ancient or recent.  We support guidelines for professional qualifications and conduct established by the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology.
	In general, we follow the inventory and analysis guidelines for archeological human remains published by Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994). This comprehensive protocol outlines traditional methods of osteological data recovery, such as measurements and observations.  We may alter the analytical procedures, however, depending on the unique circumstances surrounding the case, the time allotted for study, the availability of trained personnel, and the availability of funding.
	Sufficient time should be allocated for the appropriate evaluation of human remains for NAGPRA related inventories. CEQA or NHPA Section 106 projects.  Periods measured in hours or days are unreasonably short. Weeks, months, or years are more appropriate in most cases.
	All students, assistants, and researchers who work in the laboratory are required to undergo training in human remains protocol, safety and security procedures, and confidentiality issues.  Written guidelines are provided to all individuals, who are required to sign a statement of understanding.
	All human remains are handled with utmost dignity and respect at all times. We will do our best to honor reasonable special requests for handling or storage that are made by relatives or Native American groups while remains are in our care.
	Our facility conforms to the Federal Standards for Curation of Archaeological Remains (36CFR79).  The perimeter of our laboratory is secured by an alarm system.  In addition, all remains are kept in locked storage cabinets in the laboratory.  Access to human remains and associated evidence by unauthorized personnel is therefore restricted.

DISCLOSURE POLICY

For reasons of confidentiality, propriety, due process, site protection, and security, we generally do not discuss human remains cases with the public, the press, or with agencies not directly involved in a project.  As provided by California Public Law Sections 6254 and 6254.10, we will not disclose records of Native American graves, cemeteries, and sacred places and records of Native American places, features, and objects described in Sections 5097.9 and 5097.993 of the Public Resources Code.     Human remains cases covered by Federal Public Law 96-95, according to the provisions of the law, will not be discussed with the public under any circumstances.

Final reports or other documents and materials pertaining to human remains cases are released only with the consent of the consulting agency.