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Micheal Williams
How The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Affects Archaeology at Ocmulgee

Situated on the eastern fringes of Macon, Georgia, are the majestic mounds of Ocmulgee Nation
Monument. Though the serenity of the site today offers visitors a tranquil view of the Southeast's
natural beauty and rich past, the scene at Ocmulgee has not always been so quiet. In the 1800s the
construction of two separate railways disrupted the serenity, while in the 1930s large scale excavations
began at the Ocmulgee National Monument, funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).1
The rail lines and archaeological explorations each did irrevocable damage to both the site and the trust
of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.2 In the ensuing years there has been a growing movement, spurred on
through countless protests and lawsuits by various Native American nations, among both the American
government and the archaeological community, to help protect the right of Native nations to determine
the destiny of sacred items from their past.

Archaeology faces many unique moral and ethical issues that have plagued the discipline of
anthropology since its inception as a means of understanding the human condition. The early years of
this study were rife with what today is considered grave robbing and cultural theft. Many early
archaeologists attempted to create a dissonance between contemporary Native American populations
and their ancestors, effectively cutting off Native peoples from the right to protect their ancient past.3
Though many of these early archaeologists had no way of accurately measuring any modern cultural
affiliation with prehistoric human remains, grave goods, and ceremonial objects, the divide between
modern and ancient that they orchestrated remained largely intact in the study of Native American
archaeology well into the twentieth century.

Native Americans' push for greater autonomy over their heritage has led to many acts and laws

1 National Park Service, “Largest Arcaeology Dig in American History,” accessed February 25, 2016,
https://www.nps.gov/ocmu/learn/historyculture/stories.html.

2 Jim David, Superintendent of Ocmulgee National Monument NPS, Interviewed by Micheal Williams. March 12, 2016.
3 Zoe E. Niesel, “Better Late Than Never? The Effect of The Native American Graves Protection And Repatriations Asct's

2010 Regulations,” Wake Forest Law Review 46, no. 837 (Fall, 2011).