Page 135 - Knighted_2018

excavations in the 1930s and '40s exhumed over 60 sets of human remains, along with dozens of
ceremonial and burial objects.16 In all, over 2.5 million specimens were recovered from the
Middle Plateau and the surrounding area. The Smithsonian Institute is currently in possession of
most of this collection, yet it refuses to consider repatriating them to any Native entity on the
grounds that no modern American Indian nation has a proven cultural connection to
Mississippian era civilizations. Although Kelly was not the only one making these assertions, his
prominence at the Macon excavation has made his interpretations particularly influential
regarding the fate of artifacts and remains unearthed at Ocmulgee.

A lot has changed since the days of Kelly's grand excavation. New regulations, such as
the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, have redefined how archaeologists
approach field work, at least on federally owned lands. The attitude of most scholars towards
Native American involvement in anthropology and history has also undergone dramatic changes
over the last few decades. Once seen as cumbersome, unnecessary, or even pointless, ensuring
that research is not detrimental to living people or their heritage is quickly becoming a priority.
Though most anthropologists and historians understand the importance of including American
Indian nations when planning and conducting research, not all professionals in related fields,
such as public history and museum studies, share this new enthusiasm. At Ocmulgee National
Monument both sides of this divide are evident; the Smithsonian Institute remains beholden to
past practices, while the Park Service and contemporary researchers constantly seek to include a
Native perspective.17

The latest archaeological survey done at Ocmulgee National Monument demonstrates the
successful implementation of NAGPRA in current archaeological explorations. For his doctoral

16 Mason, The Archaeology of Ocmulgee Old Fields, 59.
17 Davis, interview by author, Macon, February 1, 2018.

130