ABSTRACT
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act established the National Museum of the American Indian as part of the Smithsonian Institution. This chapter suggests how tribes might guide future research through the establishment of committees that would select “Master Scholars” and by developing better access to sources of research funds. Discussion of the ethics of social research has increased significantly in recent years. Apart from restoring and renewing the old practices through systematic and concentrated research, there is a great and pressing need for research on the contemporary affairs and conditions of Indians. The list of Master Scholars can be made available to Indian communities who wish to undertake research that is needed by their people. The listing of Master Scholars might assist both Indians and scholars in breaking funding bottleneck that presently hampers significant research. With some few and notable exceptions, research done for federal agencies is designed to enhance the image and expand the task of the agency.
