Repatriation to Restoration

Repatriation to Restoration is a feature-length documentary exploring historical and cultural significance of returning sacred objects, remains, lands, and waters taken from Native American Peoples. Through interviews with Tribal leaders, curators, archaeologists, policymakers, and activists, the documentary charts the history of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), highlights complexities intersecting with repatriation and the law, and reshapes understanding of what it means to engage with tribes in ways that are respectful and align with tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

The film depicts a paradigm shift from repatriation (i.e., return) to cultural restoration (i.e., returning and/or caretaking in relationship with and deference to Tribes), calling for a massive readjustment of power dynamics between institutions and Tribal communities, and culminating in a Call-To-Action to support organizations, such as the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM), that work to preserve cultural identity and restoration practices.

Repatriation to Restoration addresses the need for full cultural restoration, which touches a variety of issues (e.g., cultural preservation and sovereignty, generational transference of Indigenous Knowledge, community healing, systemic change, legal issues, etc.) that are critical to the well-being and self-determination of Native Tribes and communities. The film will expand the audience’s understanding of the need for cultural restoration that, critically, includes not only the return of artifacts and remains, but extends to land, water, and culture in any form.