National Park Service News Release
RELEASE Date - Tuesday, July 27, 2004
For Immediate Release
David Barna, (202)-208-6843
WASHINGTON, D.C.-National Park Service (NPS) Director Fran Mainella
announced the selection of Dr. Sherry Hutt as the Program Manager for
national implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
"It is a tremendous public benefit when we have the opportunity to select
someone for federal service who is so well prepared by knowledge and
expertise for the job," said Mainella."I am very pleased to have Dr. Hutt at
the helm of NAGPRA and I look forward to her counsel on related issues."
In assuming the Program Manager position, Dr. Hutt will focus on developing
and implementing a business improvement process for improved program
functioning, delivery, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and
for building customer confidence and support for this nationally-important
federal program. She will also represent the NPS on the Advisory Council
for Historic Preservation's Archeology Task Force.
Dr. Hutt is an internationally recognized expert on cultural property laws,
including NAGPRA. She is widely published on the administration of NAGPRA
and has provided training to Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations,
museums, and federal agencies. She holds both a J.D. degree and a Ph.D. Dr.
Hutt retired from the Arizona Superior Court in 2002 after 17 years of
judicial service, and is currently on the faculty of the Graduate School of
Public Policy at George Mason University.
Dr. Hutt has been assigned under provisions of the Intergovernmental
Personnel Act (IPA) that provides for the temporary assignment of personnel
for two years between the federal government and state and local
governments, colleges and universities, Indian tribal governments,
federally-funded research and development centers, and other eligible
organizations.
The National NAGPRA Program is responsible for a wide range of
responsibilities delegated under NAGPRA to the Secretary of the Interior,
including promulgation of regulations, providing staff support to a
Secretarial review committee, managing publication of Federal Register
notices to facilitate repatriation of cultural items from museums and
federal agency collections, administration of a grants program, assessment
of civil penalties, and providing technical assistance and training to
Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, federal agencies, and
the public at large.
-NPS-