Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Emma Elliott Social Science

The Politics of Return: California Indigenous Epistemologies and the Constraints of Colonial Frameworks — An Opening Study in Repatriation at UC Berkeley

Scholars Journal

Emma's research offers a historical and ethnographic analysis of NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA implementation at UC Berkeley. This research engages with prevailing narratives that often position repatriation as a procedural obligation, and instead reorients the conversation toward its deeper moral, cultural, and relational dimensions. Grounded in Indigenous methodologies (oral histories, ceremonial obligations, collective protocols, etc.) the project uplifts relational accountability and ethical stewardship as foundational to repatriation work. Emma’s approach honors the emotional and political complexities involved in repatriation, recognizing the commitments of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals who have worked with care and intention within challenging systems. By affirming the validity and leadership of Indigenous ways of knowing in legal and academic spaces, this research contributes meaningfully to anthropology, Indigenous studies, and museum practices.