The Theft, Illegal Possession, Sale, Transfer, and Export of Tribal Cultural Items

The ongoing problems posed by the theft and sale of Native American tribal cultural items threatens the preservation of cultural identity for future generations of tribal members. For many years, people have looted and sold tribal artifacts for financial gain. Looters have even taken the human remains of the ancestors of tribal members. Over the last 30 years or so, awareness of this problem has risen. Laws, like the Native American Graves Repatriation Act, and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, which built on what was done with the Antiquities Act, have been passed to deter the theft and sale of tribal artifacts, but the problem still exists. The enforcement of these laws has not been strong enough. Additionally, people are exploiting the loopholes in the current laws, laws that are meant to stop the theft of important cultural items. Sacred tribal objects have even been exported to other countries, to be sold as art. These items are not pieces of art-they are spiritual objects-deeply important for tribal identity.