Board forwards three BIA-curated NAGPRA data sessions to state review board

The South Dakota State Historical Society Board voted to accept exceptions and forward three Bureau of Indian Affairs-curated data sessions — DS 215, DS 216 and DS 217 — to the state review board for consideration. Cassie Vaux, the state archaeologist, told trustees these collections were curated under BIA contract and that repatriation steps follow NAGPRA obligations when federal funds or permitting are involved.

"We are federally mandated to repatriate items as we receive federal funds," Vaux said, describing DS 216 as a Hughes County village-site collection that includes 62 individuals and 252 funerary objects. The board discussed provenance, record gaps and the difference between regulation changes and statutory authority before moving the items forward.

Board members raised questions about missing documentation and the limits of available records; staff noted some cemetery records were lost in a past fire. The motion to accept the exceptions and forward the nominations passed during the meeting.