GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KNOX) – Twice last year, UND announced the discovery of partial Native American skeletal remains on campus, including some used in the education of medical students.
North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott says officials were hoping to finish repatriation efforts by December 2022, but more time is needed.
“It’s going to take longer than we thought, but we want to do it right,” Hagerott said at the latest meeting of the State Board of Higher Education.
He added: “It’s probably going to be, actually, a couple of years before we’ve finally gotten through all the boxes. There may nothing there but they have to take time to go through and identify (the items).”
UND president Andrew Armacost says that a northern Minnesota cultural resource management firm called “Dirt Divers” has assisted with repatriation efforts for nearly three months.
Armacost says the business is owned by a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and has helped identify remains and cultural items to comply with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (or NAGPRA).
UND is interviewing for a NAGPRA Compliance Liaison who will work on the project and be a contact for tribal partners.
