Monday, February 01, 2010

Repatriation Coordinator Position

The University of Massachusetts Amherst seeks a Repatriation Coordinator to oversee compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The position is a three year 12 month lectureship in the Department of Anthropology, starting at $53,762.50. The Repatriation Coordinator directs a small part-time staff and teaches two courses a year that complement the offerings of the Anthropology Department and the Certificate Program in Native American Indian Studies.

The Repatriation Coordinator’s responsibilities include: a) Implementation of NAGPRA regulations, including the development and maintenance of inventories, summaries, notices and supporting documentation. b) Developing and maintaining relationships with Tribal representatives regarding NAGPRA sensitive collections, conducting formal consultations, establishing culturally appropriate guidelines for handling and curation of human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony, and facilitating visits and transfers. c) Managing communications with National NAGPRA, the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, other institutions, and the media about this work; d) Participating in the University’s work with Amherst College and Smith College in repatriating these collections.

Requirements and Qualifications: a) Experience with formal consultation and implementation of NAGPRA, including inventory of human remains and artifact collections, cataloging, collections documentation, determinations of cultural affiliation, publishing formal Notices, with preference for experience with Culturally Unidentifiable human remains and artifact collections. b) MA required and PhD preferred (with preference for Anthropology). c) Background in North American Native history/archaeology. d) History of commitment to and working within Native communities. e) The ability to work in programs such as Excel, Access, FileMaker, and Microsoft Office suite. f) Effective communication skills and cultural sensitivity

This position will report to the Chair of the Department of Anthropology and be overseen by the Department of Anthropology’s Repatriation Committee. Send a cover letter discussing qualifications, a cv/resume, and the names of three referees to Robert Paynter, Chair, Search Committee, Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003 rpaynter@anthro.umass.edu

Review of files will begin on February 17, 2010 and continue until the position is filled. Position starts September 1, 2010.

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