Mesa Verde Pottery

04-2022

An article on if an archaeologist should include culturally significant findings in their research when the rightful owner has asked for it. The artifact researched for this article was a piece of Mesa Verde pottery which belonged to the Ute Tribe of Colorado. Since the Ute Tribe is classified as a Native American tribe, the FBI must follow the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). By researching legal guidelines and indigenous archaeological history, I concluded that the artifacts would be property of the Ute Tribe and any questions about using them for research would have to be redirected to them and a governing body, such the researchers employer, would not have ownership over the artifacts. I also discussed possible ways to reach out to the tribe and respectfully go about requesting access to the artifact.