What archaeological resources are on this site?

All objects on this website came under the BLM Utah State Office’s custody and control as a result of the Cerberus Action law enforcement investigation. In 2009, over 20 individuals were convicted of violating archaeological resource protection laws for the illegal looting of archaeological resources, cultural objects, grave goods, and human remains from federal and tribal lands in the Four Corners region. Since that time, the BLM Utah State Office in Salt Lake City has inventoried and curated the collection to U.S. Department of the Interior standards.

What is the purpose of this website?

This website aims to provide Native American communities who may have cultural affiliations with the archaeological resources in the Cerberus Collection with long-distance access to information and photos of these archaeological resources. The BLM Utah State Office hopes this long distance access will facilitate further tribal consultation regarding potential repatriation requests under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Are human remains displayed on the website?

No. The BLM Utah State Office will be happy to arrange onsite consultations in Salt Lake City regarding the human remains in the collection.

Why was I selected as a community representative?

You were previously identified as a tribal government representative to conduct NAGPRA consultations regarding the Cerberus Collection and/or your current position as a cultural/heritage expert for a tribal government. If you or your community’s governing body would prefer to nominate another or additional representatives, please contact us and we will arrange to provide them with access to the website.

Who has access to this website?

This website is password-protected and not open to the general public. Website accounts will only be established for tribal representatives identified by their respective governments to engage in NAGPRA consultations with the BLM Utah State Office regarding the Cerberus Collection. The BLM Utah State Office is currently consulting with over 30 tribes in all of the Four Corners states about the collection. A very limited number of BLM subject matter experts also maintain access to assist tribal representatives in navigating the website and answering questions that may arise. Additionally, steps have been taken to keep the website’s images of the artifacts private and non-sharable.

Can I share this website and my account information with other community members or subject matter experts?

Yes. While the BLM Utah State Office will be happy to establish as many individual website accounts as a tribe requests, we trust that tribal communities will responsibly provide additional individuals with website access to ensure that they are able to make fully-informed claims of cultural affiliation in accordance with NAGPRA. None of this information is “classified” or “top secret,” however the BLM Utah State Office believes that tribal communities will know how to best use discretion on whether to share their website account information with additional individuals. Again, the BLM Utah State Office will be happy to establish as many individual website accounts as a tribe requests.

Does this site or any of its uses have a charge?

No. Communication and viewing through this website is completely free of charge.

Why do some photographs include multiple objects?

The BLM Utah State Office has inventoried, photographed, and curated many of the collection’s resources, such as the tens of thousands of pot sherds and projectile points, into groups of similar objects, or “lots.” A lot may include over 100 individual similar resources and are identified on the collection inventory as one line item. In other cases, resources were photographed together to demonstrate clear object associations, such as a mano with its metate. The BLM Utah State Office is happy to take more detailed pictures of individual objects upon request.

I see a resource that I would like to learn more/have questions about. What can I do?

If you have questions about a particular resource in the collection, would like more information about it, or would like more detailed pictures, please post a comment on that resource’s particular webpage with your question - a BLM staff member will contact you directly through email or phone to discuss further. You may also arrange an onsite visit to see the resources in person by contacting BLM Museum Collections Manager Diana Barg at (801) 539-4214 or dbarg@blm.gov.

Will the BLM protect the privacy of me, my constituents, and our consultation communications?

Yes. The website provides all users the ability to post comments and questions about individual resources in the collections. Only BLM staff specifically assigned to this project can read your online comments or communicate with you. The communications sent from your account are kept strictly confidential and only those who have your account log-in information can access them.

Can I request repatriation of cultural materials through this website?

No. This website was created to facilitate the sharing of information and communication. We hope the information provided here will assist in preparing formal claims of cultural affiliation through the standard NAGPRA procedures. If you have questions about the NAGPRA process, please contact BLM Museum Collections Manager Diana Barg at (801) 539-4214 or dbarg@blm.gov, or refer to the National NAGPRA Program’s Frequently Asked Questions at: http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/faq.

Why hasn’t someone answered my questions or addressed my concerns?

There is only one BLM staff member dedicated full-time to this project, and there are over thirty tribal communities participating in the consultation process. Each time you submit a comment or question related to a particular resource in the collection, the website automatically notifies the BLM by email. The BLM will do its best to notify you of our receipt of your comment or question, but the complexity of the question, how many questions were received prior to yours, and travel time to-and-from storage locations may all influence our response time. Again, please don’t hesitate to contact BLM Museum Collections Manager Diana Barg at (801) 539-4214 or dbarg@blm.gov if you need immediate assistance.