Strawtown Koteewi: Indiana, NAGPRA, and the Culture of Noncompliance

Abstract

Abstract:Excavations of human remains at Strawtown Koteewi County Park in Hamilton County, Indiana, began in 2001 and continued unchecked until the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma filed an official complaint in 2012 with the National Park Service claiming that Hamilton County Parks and Recreation were in violation of NAGPRA laws. Indiana's Department of Natural Resources, the state archaeologist, and numerous professional archaeologists associated with Indiana universities condoned and supported the illegal excavations. The publicity regarding the NAGPRA violations led to some changes, but state and county agencies continue to refute their responsibilities for the protection and repatriation of Native American human remains and antiquities.