their burial, the deceased provided their descendants with spiritual growth and sustenance as their remains became one with the earth. Any disturbance to the burial site is considered greatly disrespectful and is said to bring suffering to the descendants of the deceased. The Navajo believe a body must be properly buried so that the spirit can move on. If it is buried improperly, the spirit may remain in the physical world. However, contrary to the Indian burial ground trope, the Navajo do not believe that the spirit returns to wreak havoc on the living. Rather, the Navajo want the spirit to move on to that it may find peace in the afterlife. Relaxed perspectives on death and burials The Inuit often left the deceased out on the ice to be eaten by predators. The Sioux believe that the dead must receive a proper burial to reconnect with the earth and nature. However, spirits are not to be feared, the Sioux will also often seek out guidance from spirits who have moved on. A unified notion of an "Indian burial ground" or philosophy on death does not exist, and while many tribes condemn the excavation and disruption of burial grounds, the vast majority do not believe in the return of evil spirits. These beliefs have largely been imposed upon Indigenous representations by European settlers as a result of their ignorance and general racism towards Indigenous peoples. Historic disruption and excavation of indigenous burial sites Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act The destruction of Indigenous heritage is often considered a form of violence against Indigenous peoples. In order to combat the ongoing desecration of Indian burial grounds, Indigenous activists such as Maria Pearson pushed to expand protections of Indian burial grounds and other sites in the late twentieth century. Their efforts culminated in the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990, a bill passed to protect Indigenous cultural sites and respect the human remains and other sacred funerary items of Indigenous peoples. Under NAGPRA, all federally funded government organizations are required to consult with the relevant Indigenous groups before beginning development on sites or after any unexpected cultural items are found. Descendants of the relevant Indigenous groups must prove first their lineage, which has limited the scope and enforceability of NAGPRA. Archaeology and anthropology For many years, archaeologists have exploited Indigenous cultural sites without permission of the relevant