NAGPRA stands for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, a federal law enacted in 1990 aimed at protecting Native American cultural items and human remains. The law requires institutions that receive federal funding to inventory and potentially repatriate human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to tribes and descendants. NAGPRA promotes the repatriation of these items in efforts to reconcile past injustices and restore cultural heritage to Native American tribes. Researchers in the field of NAGPRA work to comply with the law's requirements, facilitate repatriation processes, and advocate for the protection of Native American cultural heritage.