January 31, 1997
Dear Tribal Representative:
On October 9, 1996, President Clinton signed into law P.L. 104-278,
amendments to the National Museum of the American Indian Act, 20
U.S.C. 80q et seq. As you may recall, the National Museum of the
American Indian Act sets forth the inventory and repatriation
responsibilities of the Smithsonian Institution with respect to Native
American human remains and funerary objects. The recent amendments
to the Act set forth the inventory and repatriation responsibilities of the
Smithsonian for sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony.
The Act also established a Special Committee consisting of five members
to, among other things, monitor and review the inventory, identification,
and return of Native American remains or objects, and to facilitate the
resolution of any dispute that may arise with respect to such returns. In
accordance with the recently enacted amendments, two additional members,
both traditional religious leaders, will be added to the existing Special
Committee.
This letter is to solicit your nominations and recommendations of
individuals to fill the new positions for traditional Indian religious
leaders. Please provide us with names, addresses, telephone numbers for
your nominees and a brief statement setting forth the basis for your
nomination, including information confirming the person is recognized as
a traditional religious leader.
Please submit your nomination to the following address:
Robert W. Fri, Director
National Museum of Natural History
10th & Constitution Ave., NW, Room 421, MRC-106
Washington, DC 20560
Attn: Repatriation Review Committee Nominations
All nominations must be received in the Director#s Office by March 28th,
1997 to be considered.
Once the nominations have been received, they will be reviewed by an
ad hoc committee which will submit its recommendations to me, and I will
appoint the two new members of the Special Committee. Thank you for
your assistance.
Sincerely,
I. Michael Heyman
Secretary, Smithsonian Institution