Notice2025-05598

Notice of Intended Repatriation: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, CA

Primary source

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Published
April 2, 2025

Issuing agencies

Interior DepartmentNational Park Service

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 62 (Wednesday, April 2, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 2, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14460-14461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05598]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039802; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural 
History, Santa Barbara, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History 
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition 
of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation 
with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES: Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice may occur on 
or after May 2, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Luke Swetland, President and CEO, Santa Barbara Museum of 
Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, 
telephone (805) 682-4711, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbd7c8ccdecfd7dad5dffbc8d9d5dacfcec9de8995d4c9dc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c7abb4b0a2b3aba6a9a387b4a5a9a6b3b2b5a2f5e9a8b5a0">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the 
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and additional information on 
the determinations in this notice, including the results of 
consultation, can be found in the summary or related records. The 
National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this 
notice.

[[Page 14461]]

Abstract of Information Available

    A total of three cultural items have been requested for 
repatriation. The three unassociated funerary objects consist of two 
charmstones and one serpentine fragment. The first charmstone is made 
of granite with the tip broken off and remnants of asphaltum on the 
end. The second charmstone is made of granite. The small serpentine 
fragment has a hole drilled through one portion. These items were 
collected from unprovenienced locations in Solano County, California by 
Rodney M. Rulofson, a historical columnist with the Solano County 
Courier. They were donated to the Museum in 1962.

Determinations

    The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has determined that:
    <bullet> The three unassociated funerary objects described in this 
notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with 
or near human remains, and are connected, either at the time of death 
or later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a Native American 
culture according to the Native American traditional knowledge of a 
lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization. The 
unassociated funerary objects have been identified by a preponderance 
of the evidence as related to human remains, specific individuals, or 
families, or removed from a specific burial site or burial area of an 
individual or individuals with cultural affiliation to an Indian Tribe 
or Native Hawaiian organization.
    <bullet> There is a reasonable connection between the cultural 
items described in this notice and the Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun 
Indians of the Colusa Indian Community of the Colusa Rancheria, 
California; Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation of the Cortina Rancheria 
(previously listed as Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians); and the 
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, California.

Requests for Repatriation

    Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural items 
in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified 
in this notice under ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation may be 
submitted by any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a 
preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal 
descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization.
    Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice to a requestor 
may occur on or after May 2, 2025. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History 
must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. 
Requests for joint repatriation of the cultural items are considered a 
single request and not competing requests. The Santa Barbara Museum of 
Natural History is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the 
Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this 
notice and to any other consulting parties.
    Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 
25 U.S.C. 3004 and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9.

    Dated: March 21, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-05598 Filed 4-1-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on April 2, 2025.

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