Cultural property

The intent of this thesis is to focus on evocative objects to explore what is lost in the transition from tangible to digital and how personal meaning is altered by digitalization. "We are witnessing the sudden dematerialization of our arts and entertainment, their transfer from unique artifacts to universal on-demand screen availability."1 As we replace objects like photographs, books and music CDs with intangible digital versions, social and physical experiences get reconfigured. With more time being spent on-line, there is a growing emphasis on exchanging digital content and the network of self-projections shared virtually. As we continue towards an increasing digital environment, understanding emerging socio-cultural practices can provide insight into new directions for graphic design.

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was approved by Congress on November 16, 1990 after years of American Indian lobbying due to the unfair treatment of American Indian remains. Since the enactment of NAGPRA there have been multiple complaints from the archaeological community that the way in which they conduct their jobs has been severely limited by the implementation of NAGPRA. In this study I compare data from the Secretary's Report to Congress questionnaire, conducted by the National Park Service's Federal Archaeology Program, to determine whether NAGPRA has caused an increase or decrease in the amount of archaeological administrative, laboratory, and fieldwork completed between 1985 and 2005. The comparison shows that there was a significant increase in specific archaeological practices in the years following the implementation of NAGPRA. Looking at the changes in work patterns of archaeologists allows us to assess the success of NAGPRA and it provides empirical evidence to evaluate the claims made by parties affected by the act.