The most straightforward application of NAGPRA’s principles to this case would involve a formal inventory by Skull and Bones of any human remains in its possession, identification of any Apache remains through archaeological or DNA analysis, and return of those remains to the most closely affiliated Apache community.

Whether any of these steps can be legally compelled, absent Skull and Bones’ voluntary cooperation, is uncertain.

The Photograph And The Document: Evidence Anderson Claimed To Possess

Ned Anderson’s 1986 account includes two pieces of alleged documentary evidence whose current status and reliability are uncertain: a document he said described the theft in specific terms, and a photograph he said showed a skull in a glass case inside the Skull and Bones Tomb.

Anderson reportedly provided the photograph to Jonathan Bush and the Skull and Bones representatives at their meeting, and the organization allegedly threatened legal action if the photograph was not returned.