Sam Noble Museum archaeology collection manager, Susan Fishman-Armstrong, and associate curator of archaeology, Marc Levine, Ph.D., received $16,765 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support repatriation work at the museum.
"The award will facilitate a collaborative effort with several Native American Tribes to prepare the remains of Native individuals and associated funerary offerings for repatriation," Levine said. "This work is in keeping with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990.
The ARPA funds were distributed to the museum by the Institute for Library Sciences and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The award was also supported by the Institute for Society and Community Transformation at the University of Oklahoma
“One strategic priority for OU's Institute for Society and Community Transformation is to support research, scholarship, and creative activity that advances Native Nation sovereignty and cultural continuance," said Shane Connelly, director of ISCT and a professor of psychology at OU. "The institute is committed to supporting the critically important NAGPRA work being done by Susan Fishman-Armstrong, Dr. Marc Levine and the collaborating Native Tribes. This work strengthens respectful engagement and dialogue across OU and Native communities."
