The University continued to make substantial progress on NAGPRA compliance. To date, the U-M has transferred approximately 164 site collections to the appropriate Tribes, including over 800 individuals along with funerary objects. The success of this work has led to various partnerships with Native American Tribes and communities, among them:

• The Heritage Seeds and Indigenous Collaborative Garden, organized by Tribal partners, the U-M Museum of Anthropological Archaeology (UMMAA), and the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, has planted indigenous seeds annually at the University since 2017. The goal is to plant seeds identified among the UMMAA’s collections that were originally acquired from Anishinabek communities involved in the collaborative effort. Read more about it here or watch this short video presentation.
• Wiidanokeendiwag (They Work With Each Other) Joint Basket Exhibit was a collaborative project between the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways (in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan) and the UMMAA in 2019. The project marked the first exhibition of baskets from UMMAA’s collections that were crafted by Anishinabek artists.
• The Mnomen Initiative received a Catalyst Grant from the Graham Sustainability Institute in 2020 to study the feasibility of restoring mnomen (wild rice) to some University-owned properties within the State of Michigan.