About the Practice

Practice-led advisory on NAGPRA, Section 106, and tribal consultation.

I run Sanchez Ethics Global, an independent consultancy serving museums, federal agencies, tribal historic preservation offices, and counsel working through the 2024 NAGPRA final rule and the statutory inventory deadline that closes January 10, 2029.

See Services Scope an Engagement
Statutory Anchors
NAGPRA 43 CFR Part 10 25 U.S.C. 3001-3013 Section 106 NHPA 36 CFR 800 NEPA
01 · Methodology

Statute first. Primary sources always. Tribal authority centered.

I start every engagement with the rule itself: 43 CFR Part 10, 36 CFR 800, the Federal Register preamble, and the Senate-side legislative history. Secondary commentary comes later, if at all. Recommendations tie back to specific provisions, with citations institutions can defend in writing. Tribal consultation is not a procedural box. It is the structural authority the statute names.

02 · Engagement Principles

Five commitments that shape every deliverable.

These are not aspirations. They are non-negotiables that govern scope, deliverables, and how I work with both institutions and tribal partners.

  1. 01

    Tribal authority is non-negotiable.

    Where the statute names a tribe as the deciding party on affiliation, disposition, or control, my role is to support that decision, not to influence or pre-empt it. I do not write compliance memos that soften tribal authority.

  2. 02

    Citations on every recommendation.

    Each finding is anchored to specific CFR sections, U.S. Code provisions, the 2023 Federal Register preamble, applicable case law, or NAGPRA Review Committee findings. Institutions get footnotes they can defend in audit or litigation.

  3. 03

    Written scope, written deliverable.

    Every engagement begins with a signed scope of work naming deliverables, timelines, and the statutory provisions in scope. No verbal scope creep. No surprise invoices.

  4. 04

    Confidentiality and conflict screening up front.

    I handle sensitive consultations, sacred-object inventories, and culturally affiliated holdings under written confidentiality. I screen for conflicts with prior advisory work or tribal affiliations before setting scope.

  5. 05

    Decline before dilute.

    If an engagement would require softening tribal authority, ignoring a deadline, or producing a memo that misrepresents the statute, I decline. Reputational risk to institutions matters. So does mine.

03 · Credentials

A practice grounded in rule-text and presented at the national venues that set its terms.

I have presented research at the American Anthropological Association, the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Southern Sociological Society, the National Association of Native American Studies, and the North Carolina Honors Association. My practice memberships sit with the federal-rule organizations whose work shapes 43 CFR Part 10 and 36 CFR 800.

Research Bibliography ORCID Profile
Focus
NAGPRA · Section 106 · 43 CFR Part 10 · 36 CFR 800 2024 final rule · 2029 inventory deadline
Recognition
SAA Ethics Bowl Winner · 2025 Society for American Archaeology
Honors
Canopy Innovation Award · ALPFA LIFT Fellow
Conferences
AAA · NCHC · SSS · NAAAS · NCHA 2024 to 2025 national meetings
Memberships
SAA · AAA · RPA · AIA · SfAA Southeastern NAGPRA Community of Practice
Identifier
ORCID 0009-0009-3379-0778
04 · Speaking & Research

National presentations on repatriation, institutional responsibility, and statutory reform.

Selected venues and titles below. Full bibliography and abstracts are on the Research page.

  • Nov 2025 · AAA
    Haunted Restitutions: Restless Ancestors and the Ghosts of Colonialism American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting · New Orleans
  • Nov 2025 · NCHC
    Institutional Responsibility in Repatriation National Collegiate Honors Council · San Diego · 60-minute oral presentation
  • Apr 2025 · SSS
    Returning Dignity: Reforming Repatriation Legislation for Tribal Empowerment Southern Sociological Society 88th Annual Meeting · Charlotte
  • Feb 2025 · NAAAS
    Returning Dignity: Reforming Repatriation Legislation for Tribal Empowerment NAAAS National Conference · Dallas
  • Spring 2025 · SAA
    SAA Ethics Bowl Winner Society for American Archaeology · National Champion
  • Sep 2024 · NCHA
    Uncovering Lost Knowledge of Pre-Columbian Native American Cultures North Carolina Honors Association Annual Conference · Cullowhee, NC

Have a statutory window closing in 2029?

Most institutions need scope set in 2026 or 2027 to meet the January 10, 2029 inventory deadline cleanly. Scoping early reduces consultation risk and downstream civil-penalty exposure.

Scope an Engagement