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Columbia River on the Washington State side: A view of mountains against a blue sky, with a wide river running in the foreground and a near bank in the closer foreground with pine trees.

PSU Cultural Items Webpage

Artifacts, Cultural Items, and Indigenous Belongings

Many members of the public have participated in practices of collecting Native American artifacts, cultural items, and Indigenous belongings. Some items may have been purchased from approved Tribal vendors, while others may have been taken from archaeological sites in Oregon or elsewhere. People who have their own collections of Indian artifacts, or inherit collections from family members, often wish to gift their collections to museums or universities for safe-keeping, research, and the appreciation of future generations.

However, despite the good intentions of prospective donors, Portland State University does not accept any donations of Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains, artifacts, cultural items, or any other Indigenous belongings from archaeological sites. 

Today, many types of artifacts, cultural items, and Indigenous belongings are protected by state, federal, and Tribal law. In the state of Oregon it is illegal to excavate cultural resource sites or to remove artifacts from any public or private land without a permit (ORS 97.745, 358.920, & 390.235). All artifacts or archaeological materials that have been removed from archaeological sites on state or private property without the required permit must be surrendered for curation or repatriation under the stewardship of the State of Oregon (ORS 390.237). 

Artifacts, cultural resource sites, and Native American and Native Hawaiian burials on federal or Indian lands are protected by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA 1979) and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA 1990). Critically, federal law also prohibits the sale, purchase, exchange, transport, or receipt of any artifacts, human remains, or cultural items that were obtained without an appropriate permit, or in violation of any state or federal law. 

To ensure compliance with state, federal, and Tribal laws, Portland State University adopted a NAGPRA Policy in 2025, which prohibits any university employees, schools, colleges, or administrative units from knowingly acquiring any new holdings that include Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains or cultural items. Additionally, students, employees, schools, colleges, and administrative units may not accept any loans or temporary custody of holdings that include Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains or cultural items unless they (1) notify the NAGPRA Coordinator and (2) obtain the free, prior, informed consent of all affiliated or potentially affiliated lineal descendants, Native American Tribes, or Native Hawaiian Organizations. 

 

Guidance For the Public

Do not bring your collections to Portland State University. Portland State University cannot accept any donations of Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains, artifacts, cultural items, or any other Indigenous belongings from archaeological sites. 

If you need help with any such collections, Portland State University’s NAGPRA Coordinator can explain possible alternatives for repatriating artifacts, cultural items, and human remains, or for transferring them to appropriate Tribes, institutions, or authorities. Please note: Portland State University cannot provide any valuation or estimate the significance of your collections. For assistance, please contact Reno Nims (NAGPRA Coordinator) at nagpra@pdx.edu.

 

Guidance for PSU Personnel

Do not accept any donations that may contain Native American or Native Hawaiian human remains, artifacts, cultural items, or any other Indigenous belongings from archaeological sites. Accepting such donations is a violation of PSU Policy, and doing so may put you and the university at risk of civil penalties or criminal prosecution.

If you are contacted or approached by anyone who wants to donate, or ask for information about, items that they believe are human remains, artifacts, or cultural items, please direct them to contact Reno Nims (NAGPRA Coordinator) at nagpra@pdx.edu, and then immediately notify the NAGPRA Coordinator about the interaction yourself. Try to share as much information about the interaction as possible.

If you plan to accept a loan or temporary custody of human remains or artifacts, contact PSU’s NAGPRA Coordinator as soon as possible before you accept the loan. The NAGPRA Coordinator will help advise you on how to maintain compliance with PSU policy and the law. 

If you discover anything that you believe could be human remains or artifacts on PSU property, or while conducting any activity on PSU’s behalf, follow the basic steps of an Inadvertent Discovery Plan: stop, protect, and notify. 

  • STOP - all work must stop immediately within the vicinity of the discovery. Any human remains, regardless of antiquity or ethnic origin, will always be treated with dignity and respect.
  • PROTECT - secure the finds in place within 10 minutes of discovery. Record as much information about the finds and the nature of the discovery in as much detail as you can. Treat all information about the find as confidential and only share it on a need to know basis.
  • NOTIFY - contact your Project Manager and PSU’s NAGPRA Coordinator within the first thirty minutes of discovery. They will work together to notify appropriate officials, and state police as needed. 

If you have any questions about artifacts, belongings, human remains, or Portland State University’s repatriation efforts please visit PSU’s NAGPRA webpage, or send an email to nagpra@pdx.edu.

Fact sheet for staff: Responding to Queries about Artifacts and Human Remains