Dear USET/USET SPF Family,
The Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act of 2021 (STOP Act) was signed into law by President Biden on December 21, 2022. This law prohibits the exportation of Native American cultural items and increases the penalty of violations of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The law also establishes a working group comprised of Tribal Nations to assist in implementing the STOP Act, NAGPRA, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (16 USC 470aa et seq), and other relevant laws.
USET SPF has consistently supported passage of the STOP Act. In 2006, USET adopted USET Resolution No. 2006:038, “Support for United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. and National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Work to Stop Illegal Looting and Trafficking of American Indian Remains and Items.” In addition to our advocacy on the Hill for passage of the STOP Act, USET SPF also sent letters of support to Congressional Leadership for enacting the STOP Act in July 2016, July 2019, and June 2022. We applaud enactment of the STOP Act into law and the advocacy of Tribal Leaders, Tribal citizens, and others that have supported the protection of our ancestral remains and cultural items.
For more information, please contact Brian Howard, USET SPF Senior Policy Analyst, at bhoward@usetinc.org.
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