University of California, Berkeley
Located in California · Read the institution’s response
The Univ. of California, Berkeley has the 4th largest collection of unrepatriated Native American remains in the U.S. The institution reported still having the remains of at least 4,900 Native Americans that it has not made available for return to tribes.
The institution has made available for return 59% of the more than 12,000 Native American remains that it reported to the federal government.
Where Native American remains reported by the Univ. of California, Berkeley were taken from
Timeline of Native American remains made available for return to tribes by the Univ. of California, Berkeley
How the Univ. of California, Berkeley compares to other institutions
The Univ. of California, Berkeley made Native American remains available for return to 142 tribes.
| Tribe | Remains Made Available for Return To |
|---|---|
| Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria of California | 4,681 |
| Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California | 4,612 |
| Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California | 4,612 |
| Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California | 4,612 |
| Jackson Band of Miwuk Indians | 4,612 |
| Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs Rancheria (Verona Tract), California | 4,612 |
| Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California | 4,561 |
| Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California | 4,561 |
| Table Mountain Rancheria | 4,561 |
| Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California | 4,561 |
| California Valley Miwok Tribe, California | 4,535 |
| Wilton Rancheria, California | 4,535 |
| Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California | 4,492 |
| Guidiville Rancheria of California | 4,448 |
| Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California | 1,435 |
| Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, California | 535 |
| Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley Reservation, California | 228 |
| Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, California | 182 |
| United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria of California | 182 |
| Grindstone Indian Rancheria of Wintun-Wailaki Indians of California | 166 |
| Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians of California | 160 |
| Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community of the Colusa Rancheria, California | 111 |
| Kletsel Dehe Wintun of the Cortina Rancheria | 111 |
| Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, California | 111 |
| Redding Rancheria, California | 95 |
| Wiyot Tribe, California | 74 |
| Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California | 58 |
| Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, California | 53 |
| Blue Lake Rancheria, California | 53 |
| Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California | 53 |
| Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California | 51 |
| El Dorado Miwok Rancheria | 51 |
| Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California | 51 |
| Greenville Rancheria | 51 |
| Pechanga Band of Indians | 26 |
| Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon | 25 |
| Quartz Valley Indian Community of the Quartz Valley Reservation of California | 24 |
| Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon | 22 |
| Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon | 21 |
| Susanville Indian Rancheria, California | 19 |
| Alturas Indian Rancheria, California | 18 |
| Big Lagoon Rancheria, California | 18 |
| Pit River Tribe, California | 18 |
| Resighini Rancheria, California | 18 |
| Yurok Tribe of the Yurok Reservation, California | 18 |
| Klamath Tribes | 17 |
| Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, California | 10 |
| Cahuilla Band of Indians | 10 |
| Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians, California | 10 |
| Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California | 10 |
| Ramona Band of Cahuilla, California | 10 |
| Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, California | 10 |
| Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation | 9 |
| Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, California and Arizona | 9 |
| Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California | 8 |
| Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, California | 8 |
| Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria, California | 8 |
| Lytton Rancheria of California | 8 |
| Pinoleville Pomo Nation, California | 8 |
| Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada | 8 |
| Robinson Rancheria | 8 |
| Tejon Indian Tribe | 8 |
| Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, California | 7 |
| Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California | 7 |
| Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, California | 7 |
| Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, California | 7 |
| Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, California | 7 |
| Koi Nation of Northern California | 7 |
| Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria, California | 7 |
| Potter Valley Tribe, California | 7 |
| Redwood Valley or Little River Band of the Redwood Valley Rancheria California | 7 |
| Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California | 7 |
| Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California | 7 |
| Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota | 6 |
| Delaware Nation, Oklahoma | 4 |
| Delaware Tribe of Indians | 4 |
| Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin | 4 |
| Office of Hawaiian Affairs | 3 |
| Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah | 3 |
| Pala Band of Mission Indians | 3 |
| Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation | 3 |
| Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians | 2 |
| Hui Malama I Na Kupuna O Hawai'i Nei | 2 |
| Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, Arizona | 2 |
| Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada | 2 |
| Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, California | 2 |
| Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada | 2 |
| Native Hawaiian Organizations | 2 |
| Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe | 2 |
| San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona | 2 |
| Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, California | 2 |
| Shinnecock Indian Nation | 2 |
| Skokomish Indian Tribe | 2 |
| Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | 1 |
| Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California | 1 |
| Bishop Paiute Tribe | 1 |
| Bridgeport Indian Colony | 1 |
| Burns Paiute Tribe | 1 |
| Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria | 1 |
| Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian Reservation, California | 1 |
| Capitan Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California | 1 |
| Cedarville Rancheria, California | 1 |
| Chugach Alaska Corporation | 1 |
| Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, Nevada | 1 |
| Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, California | 1 |
| Eyak, Native Village of (aka Cordova) | 1 |
| Fort Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of California | 1 |
| Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation, California | 1 |
| Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon | 1 |
| Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona | 1 |
| Hopi Tribe of Arizona | 1 |
| Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, California | 1 |
| Inaja Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Inaja and Cosmit Reservation, California | 1 |
| Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe | 1 |
| Jamul Indian Village of California | 1 |
| Karuk Tribe | 1 |
| La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Indian Reservation, California | 1 |
| Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe | 1 |
| Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada | 1 |
| Lower Elwha Tribal Community | 1 |
| Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita Reservation, California | 1 |
| Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation, California | 1 |
| Muckleshoot Indian Tribe | 1 |
| Nisqually Indian Tribe | 1 |
| Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada | 1 |
| Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation | 1 |
| Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada | 1 |
| Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona | 1 |
| San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California | 1 |
| Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe | 1 |
| Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada | 1 |
| Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation | 1 |
| Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians of Washington | 1 |
| Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada | 1 |
| Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, Washington | 1 |
| Swinomish Indian Tribal Community | 1 |
| Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation | 1 |
| Tulalip Tribes of Washington | 1 |
| Upper Skagit Indian Tribe | 1 |
| Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada | 1 |
| Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada | 1 |
| Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony and Campbell Ranch, Nevada | 1 |
The Univ. of California, Berkeley reported making 70% of more than 169,200 associated funerary objects available for return to tribes.
The Univ. of California, Berkeley’s response:
Know how an institution is handling repatriation? Have a personal story to share? We'd like to hear from you.
Watch an informational webinar with our reporters.
This tool presents a dataset maintained by the National Park Service containing all the Native American human remains and associated funerary objects that institutions have reported to the federal government under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The dataset includes information about the state and county where remains and objects were taken from, which institutions hold them and whether they have been made available for return to tribes.
The data is self-reported by institutions. The amount of unrepatriated Native American remains reported by institutions is a minimum estimate of individuals and institutions frequently adjust these numbers when they reinventory groups of remains. Some institutions that are subject to NAGPRA have also entirely failed to report the remains in their possession. As a result, the numbers provided are best taken as estimates. The actual number and geographic scope of what’s held by publicly funded institutions is larger than what is presently documented.
ProPublica supplemented this dataset with information about cultural affiliation and disposition to specific tribes by systematically parsing the text of Notices of Inventory Completion published in the Federal Register. An additional dataset from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Tribal Directory Assessment Tool, was used for the section on remains not made available for return from counties that each tribe has indicated interest in to the federal government.
Institution location and tribal headquarters location information was provided by National NAGPRA. The location of some groups that are not federally recognized was provided through research by ProPublica.
Institutions that are part of a larger entity are grouped. (For example, the Mesa Verde National Park is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.)
Institutions that have not submitted information to the federal government are not listed. The Smithsonian Institution is not listed because its repatriation process falls under the National Museum of the American Indian Act and it is not required to publicly report its holdings with the same detail as institutions subject to NAGPRA.
If you work for an institution and would like to provide comment on your institution’s repatriation efforts, please email [email protected]. If you think the data is incorrect or have a data request, please get in touch. We are aware of some issues with the accuracy of location information and tribes mistakenly being identified for disposition of Native American remains in published notices.
If you want to share something else with ProPublica, we’d like to hear from you.
If you have questions about implementing or complying with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, get in touch with National NAGPRA or the NAGPRA Community of Practice.
We use the word “tribes” to refer to all groups that institutions made Native American remains available to under NAGPRA. This includes tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities, Native Alaskan villages, Native Hawaiian organizations and non-federally recognized groups.
Data sources from Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National NAGPRA Program, the Federal Register, Department of Housing and Development, Tribal Directory Assessment Tool
In the past, for more than a century, ancestors and cultural property were taken by our institution and others across the country in violation of Indigenous Communities’ spiritual and cultural beliefs, without prior and informed consent. As such Berkeley holds one of the largest collections to repatriate. In the past, our campus had conservative and inequitable interpretations of NAGPRA and limited our interactions to only those tribes that were federally recognized. The campus also privileged specific types of scientific and scholarly evidence over tribal interests and historical evidence provided by tribes, requiring an unattainable degree of so-called “scientific proof” that too often prevented the remains of ancestors and belongings to be affiliated with a tribe for the purpose of repatriation. In the past tribal knowledge or tradition was discounted or given less weight, and tribal representatives were not invited to participate in claim review discussions. The new UC systemwide policy, in concert with our new campus practices and procedures, now specifically addresses these issues by elevating and prioritizing tribal knowledge and culturally affiliating to federally unrecognized Tribes. It is our intention that control of all of our campus NAGPRA-eligible holdings will be transferred to tribes, including ancestral remains, and with our Implementation Plan set to be completed this year, this can be accomplished in the next 10 years. However, repatriation must also follow and eventually occur at a pace and schedule that is determined to be acceptable to tribes.
— University spokesperson