(Bismarck, ND) — A bill aimed at returning all human remains and artifacts to native tribes has unanimous approval in the state legislature. House Bill 1603 passed 87-to-nothing in the House on Thursday. The bill seeks 500-thousand-dollars to go to the state historical society to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Representative Collette Brown of Warwick said the bill is about more than “meeting federal requirements,” adding that it’s about “respecting the sovereignty of North Dakota’s tribes and upholding their cultural dignity.”
