If you have not yet emailed the Governor, State Attorney General or Chancellor regarding the decision to disband the autonomous Berkeley NAGPRA unit – OR EVEN IF YOU HAVE – please use the form letters below to express your views. You can send them verbatim or simply use them as models for your own letters. Please ask anyone who might be sympathetic to do the same.
The letters come with text and email addresses. All you have to do is paste the text into separate emails, paste the email addresses into the “To” and “CC” lines of the email (paste the whole group at once), and put your name after “Sincerely” at the bottom. One letter is to the Governor and Attorney General and one is to the Chancellor. The CCs are to various other government and University officials.
Please do this. It is very important.
Letter 1 (Governor, State Attorney General):
CCs: Lt.Governor@ltgov.ca.gov; constituentaffairs@ss.ca.gov; Senator.Perata@senate.ca.gov; senator@dorgan.senate.gov; piu@doj.ca.gov; regentsoffice@ucop.edu; Robert.Dynes@ucop.edu; john.oakley@ucop.edu; maria.bertero-barcelo@ucop.edu; michael.brown@ucop.edu; aschair@berkeley.edu; acad_sen@berkeley.edu; agreenrush@berkeley.edu; lhsong@berkeley.edu; dsprouse@berkeley.edu
Text:
This letter concerns an urgent matter of critical importance to Native Americans.
Please help us reverse UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau’s decision to disband the highly trained, cohesive team that impartially administers federal and state NAGPRA laws affecting the second largest collection of Native American remains and artifacts in the nation. Native Americans care deeply about the treatment of this collection, and many will not rest until their tribe’s remains are returned and reburied. The Chancellor has completely stonewalled our protests so that “facts on the ground” can take over before Native Americans can react.
The Chancellor’s decision-making process was secretive, sudden, and completely and deliberately excluded all tribal representatives and UCB’s expert NAGPRA unit, which includes three Native Americans. The decision was recommended by a two-man “review committee” consisting of research scientists who have vested professional interests in keeping Native American collections intact and a history of negative relations with tribes. Under the Museum reorganization, scientists with research interests will completely control all NAGPRA operations. All fair and impartial tribal consultation will cease and genuine NAPGRA services will be seriously cut.
Please help us stop the NAGPRA coup! Please ask that the Chancellor:
1. Immediately stop the NAGPRA reorganization
2. Reopen the NAGPRA review process
3. Include the Native American NAGPRA Council and the UCB NAGPRA team in all deliberations affecting the future of NAGPRA at Berkeley.
Thus far, the Chancellor and all University officials have refused to meet with Native Americans and refused to acknowledge and justify the discriminatory decision-making process. We have never relinquished our right to speak for ourselves and did not authorize the University to represent our interests. Please insist that the Chancellor stop stonewalling and give an equal voice to Native Americans, the true stakeholders in this issue.
For more information, please call 510-652-1567 or 510-457-8569.
Sincerely,
NAGPRA Autonomy = NAGPRA Integrity!
Letter 2 (Chancellor):
“CC”: burnside@berkeley.edu; jcummins@berkeley.edu; rprice@berkeley.edu; PAHMA-Director@berkeley.edu; kgl53@sbcglobal.net
Text:
Dear Chancellor Birgeneau:
This letter concerns an urgent matter of critical importance to Native Americans.
Please reverse your decision to disband the highly trained, cohesive team that impartially administers federal and state NAGPRA laws affecting the second largest collection of Native American remains and artifacts in the nation. Native Americans care deeply about the treatment of this collection, and many will not rest until their tribe’s remains are returned and reburied. Thus far, you have completely stonewalled our protests so that “facts on the ground” can take over before Native Americans can react.
The University’s decision-making process was secretive, sudden, and completely and deliberately excluded all tribal representatives and UCB’s expert NAGPRA unit, which includes three Native Americans. The decision was recommended by a two-man “review committee” consisting of research scientists who have vested professional interests in keeping Native American collections intact and a history of negative relations with tribes. Under the Museum reorganization, scientists with research interests will completely control all NAGPRA operations. All fair and impartial tribal consultation will cease and genuine NAPGRA services will be seriously cut.
Please stop the NAGPRA coup! We respectfully ask that you:
1. Immediately stop the NAGPRA reorganization
2. Reopen the NAGPRA review process
3. Include the Native American NAGPRA Council and the UCB NAGPRA team in all deliberations affecting the future of NAGPRA at Berkeley.
Thus far, you and all University officials have refused to meet with Native Americans and refused to acknowledge and justify the discriminatory decision-making process. We have never relinquished our right to speak for ourselves and did not authorize the University to represent our interests. Please stop stonewalling and give an equal voice to Native Americans, the true stakeholders in this issue. I will be sending a similar letter to the Governor, Attorney General Brown and other officials.
Sincerely,
NAGPRA Autonomy = NAGPRA Integrity!
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