夏茲參議員敦促加快歸還原住民遺骸
Senator Schatz Urges Faster Repatriation of Indigenous Remains
Updated at: June 22, 2026 at 04:30 AM
參議員布萊恩·夏茲（Brian Schatz），作為參議院印第安事務委員會的重要領導者，正帶頭推動加速遣返由美國機構持有之原住民祖先遺骸與文化遺物。
Senator Brian Schatz, a key leader on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, is leading a renewed push to accelerate the repatriation of Indigenous ancestral remains and cultural objects held by American institutions.
儘管《美洲原住民墓葬保護與遣返法》(NAGPRA) 於1990年簽署立法，旨在確保這些遺物得以歸還，但進展卻緩慢得令人擔憂。
Although the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was signed into law in 1990 to ensure the return of these items, progress has been alarmingly slow.
參議員夏茲致力於要求各大機構負起責任，透過參議院聽證會與直接通信來要求透明度。
Senator Schatz has been instrumental in holding major institutions accountable, using Senate hearings and direct correspondence to demand transparency.
他批評機構利用官僚漏洞——例如將遺物標記為「文化上無法辨識」(culturally unidentifiable)——來拖延歸還進程。
He has criticized the use of bureaucratic loopholes—such as labeling items as 'culturally unidentifiable'—to delay the return process.
自2024年1月起生效的最新聯邦法規，透過要求機構優先考慮部落諮詢與取得正式同意，強化了法律效力。
Recent federal regulations, effective since January 2024, have strengthened the law by requiring institutions to prioritize tribal consultation and formal consent.
對原住民社群而言，這不僅是法律問題；更是療癒歷史創傷與平撫墓地褻瀆之舉的關鍵一步。
For Indigenous communities, this is more than a legal matter; it is a vital step toward healing from historical trauma and the desecration of burial sites.
隨著機構面臨要求提供具體遣返時程的巨大壓力，倡議人士希望這些努力終能使那些長期遠離家園的祖先獲得尊嚴。
As institutions face mounting pressure to provide concrete timelines for repatriation, advocates hope that these efforts will finally bring dignity to ancestors who have been held away from their homes for far too long.
