The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is a groundbreaking piece of legislation. However, the law was sharply contested prior to its passage in 1990. An examination of how professional academic societies, museum institutions, federal institutions, Native American groups, and individuals interacted during the late 1980s and 1990s reveals several rhetorical strategies that were used to sway opinions of other actors in negotiating the language of the law. This research contributes to awareness of the anthropological and archaeological communities vis-à-vis repatriation legislation, especially concerning if, or how, attitudes towards repatriation legislation change over time.