The following statement can be attributed to CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester:
“The California State University deeply respects the sovereignty of Native American tribal communities and will honor their ancestors and sacred ways through a reverent return of ancestral remains and cultural items taken from them and housed on our universities for far too long.
The state audit's recommendations to strengthen our compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) reaffirm the work undertaken by the CSU system and our universities since the update to CalNAGPRA in 2020.
However, we recognize that there is much work still to be done. The CSU is committed to laying the crucial infrastructure that will accomplish repatriation in a timely manner and demonstrate our deep respect, regard and alliance with Native American communities."
The state audit report can be accessed here: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
In 2022, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) of the state legislature recommended that the California State Auditor (CSA) audit the California State University's compliance of both NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA. The audit surveyed all CSU campuses regarding the ancestral remains and cultural items in their possession and what progress has been made toward repatriation since the federal law was enacted in 1990 and implemented in 1995. Read the CSA 2022-107 audit scope and objectives.
About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, nearly 460,000 students, and 56,000 faculty and staff. Nearly 40 percent of the CSU's undergraduate students transfer from California Community Colleges. The CSU was created in 1960 with a mission of providing high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards nearly 130,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 4 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.