Published on Jul 15, 2019
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is troubled by the removal of Shannon Keller O’Loughlin, Executive Director of the Association on American Indian Affairs and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, from the Department of State’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee. O’Loughlin was the first and only American Indian representative on the Committee. “Tribal nations depend upon cultural items for maintaining their identity, cultures, and traditions…now, and into the future,” said NCAI’s CEO, Kevin Allis. “We stand firm in the idea that representation from tribal nations is necessary, within any administration, so that there is full scope and understanding around the protections and importance of Indian Country’s sacred items,” stated Allis.