This article draws from reporting by CalMatters.

Nearly every California State University campus holds Native American human remains and cultural objects that federal and state laws mandate be returned to tribes. In numerous instances, the repatriation process has proceeded slowly.

While collection sizes differ across campuses, institutions such as Cal Poly Humboldt and San Francisco State have advanced in repatriating remains and items, with Sacramento State having returned the majority of its Native holdings. Others, including Cal Poly Pomona, show limited advancement, and Cal State Bakersfield reports no returns to date.

The CSU system possesses remains from over 2,000 Native Americans and more than 1.57 million artifacts, per the latest inventory of system collections. An additional 500,000 items remain in storage, pending tribal review and cataloging.

Campus leaders emphasize their commitment to fulfilling legal obligations for returning these items to tribes, though the path is often lengthy and challenging.

In February, members of the Konkow Valley Band of Maidu reinterred three ancestors whose remains had been stored at Sacramento State since 1963. The Lake Concow Campground provided 10.7 acres of land within the tribe's traditional territory in Northern California for the ceremony.

"The process carries a profound heaviness," noted Matthew Williford Sr., tribal chairperson and cultural resource director. "But reclaiming the remains brings relief - it lifts a great burden."

For Williford, items left in storage erase evidence of a people's existence: "It's as if we were never here."

"Returning them is vital because we hold that these objects retain spiritual essence," he added. "They belong back with the people."

Federal and state Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) laws compel institutions holding such remains and items to return them to affiliated tribes. Although no strict deadline exists for repatriation, federal rules required inventories to be finished by 1995.

As of February 2025, Sacramento State had repatriated 89% of its human remains and 68% of cultural items, transferring legal control to tribes - though physical custody may persist if tribes request it. This excludes items held for other agencies.

"Certain tribes prefer we retain the collections temporarily, leading to held-trust agreements where we safeguard them until repatriation," explained Sarah Eckhardt, Sacramento State's repatriation coordinator.

Eckhardt, in the role for over six years, manages compliance with repatriation statutes and fosters strong ties with local tribes affiliated with most collections, facilitating effective returns.

The campus's cultural items dropped sharply from around 30,000 in 2024 to about 6,000 in 2025.

Challenges in Repatriating Native Artifacts

Repatriation requires universities to consult potentially affiliated tribes based on geography or history, after which tribes may request items.

Though deliberate, the process faces hurdles from regulations complicating returns for non-federally recognized tribes, alongside occasional disputes over authority, according to several tribal leaders who praised campus cooperation.

Sacramento State saw human remains rise from 171 in 2024 to 223 in 2025 due to reassigned responsibilities, Eckhardt noted.

"Some collections we believed belonged to other agencies were disclaimed, so we assumed custody," she said.

Late 2024 saw 32 boxes with three remains and items returned to Williford's state-recognized tribe. Lacking federal status, they partnered with a federally recognized tribe and secured local approvals after a six-month federal notice period - a swift resolution in Williford's view.

"They're making efforts - but they should enhance support for non-federal tribes in federal processes," he remarked.

San Jose State has repatriated all federally recognized tribe remains but struggles with non-federal ones, said Alisha Marie Ragland, repatriation coordinator. As of December 2025, it holds 514 remains and over 5,000 items awaiting review.

"SJSU remains dedicated to collaborating with tribes for respectful repatriation of ancestors," Ragland stated in an email.

What impedes some campuses?

"Repatriation spans years; even one artifact might require a couple," said David Silva, Cal State Bakersfield's coordinator.

Bakersfield is consulting tribes to inventory its boxes, he added.

"Tribes face no consultation deadline; timelines apply mainly to notices and verifications," Silva explained.

Curtis Alcantar, Tejon Indian Tribe member and NAGPRA committee representative at Bakersfield, reports positive collaboration and optimism for the system's trajectory.

Previously scattered across five rooms, collections now occupy a dedicated campus building for easier tribal access.

Initially shocked by the volume of remains and items held by universities - often from anthropology excavations, archaeology, or donations - Alcantar now sees growing willingness to repatriate.

Research-intensive, the process benefits from Cal State's collections map, aiding location of Kern County items across eight campuses; Bakersfield holds items from 18 counties.

"The reward is witnessing objects and ancestors return home," Alcantar said.

Cal Poly Humboldt repatriated about 39% of its initial 23,889 cultural items, per NAGPRA coordinator Megan Watson. San Francisco State returned roughly 36% of 44,000 stored items, with around 250 remains unchanged recently; two remains and 260 items went out since November, per communications director Robert King.

CSU Updates Native Collections Inventory

Cal State's December inventory followed the first full-campus review.

Sonoma State leads with over 1.52 million cultural items; Cal State Fullerton has 534 remains; San Diego State tops stored items at over 426,000 awaiting review.

Sonoma's volume stems from its storage facility and robust anthropology/archaeology programs, said Samantha Cypret, Mountain Maidu member and Chancellor’s Office tribal relations director overseeing NAGPRA.

Sonoma State's NAGPRA team either declined or did not respond to interview requests.

CSU Overhauls Repatriation Policy Amid Delays

November 2025 brought a systemwide NAGPRA policy for uniformity, prompted by Assembly Bill 389 (a 2023 update to the 2001 state act) and a key audit mandating Chancellor’s Office policy and campus committees.

Cypret noted delays allowed prioritizing tribal input via over 30 outreach sessions during development.

The policy mandates full-time coordinators, ongoing surveys, and bans on using collections for teaching/research. Cal State allocated $3.7 million for 2025-2026 to fund staffing, reburials, tribal travel, and more.

The UC system and community colleges also hold such collections; a April 2025 UC audit cited insufficient urgency.

Williford's tribe seeks two dogwood baskets from UC Berkeley. Repatriation efforts connect him to his late father from a culturally disconnected generation; returns now inspire elders.

"Seeing an elder's face light up like a child's is truly special," Williford said.

Cal State will revisit the policy in November 2026 post-tribal consultations.

Brittany Oceguera contributes via the College Journalism Network, partnering CalMatters with California student journalists. Support from College Futures Foundation.