Notice2025-11149

Notice of Intended Repatriation: Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

Primary source

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Published
June 17, 2025

Issuing agencies

Interior DepartmentNational Park Service

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an object of cultural patrimony and that has 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 115 (Tuesday, June 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 115 (Tuesday, June 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25641-25642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11149]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040411; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA

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 Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) intends to 
repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an 
object of cultural patrimony and that has a cultural affiliation with 
the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES: Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice may occur on or 
after July 17, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the 
cultural item in this notice to Kelly Ferguson, NAGPRA Project Manager, 
Peabody Essex Museum, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970, email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcd7d9d0d0c5e3dad9cedbc9cfd3d2fcccd9d192d3cedb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1c7779707065437a796e7b696f73725c6c797132736e7b">[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 
Peabody Essex Museum, 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.

Abstract of Information Available

    A total of one cultural item has been requested for repatriation. 
The object of cultural patrimony is an adze blade preform from Mauna 
Kea Quarry on the Island of Hawaii. The adze blade was collected by 
Marcia Brown Bishop during the period of 1922 and 1937 when she was 
living in Hawaii. Bishop transferred the adze blade to the Peabody 
Museum of Salem (now Peabody Essex Museum) on deposit in 1938 and 
subsequently sold the blade to the museum in 1966. The museum has no 
record of any potentially hazardous substances used to treat this 
cultural item.

Determinations

    The Peabody Essex Museum has determined that:
    <bullet> The one object of cultural patrimony described in this 
notice has ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance 
central to the Native American group, including any constituent sub-
group (such as a band, clan, lineage, ceremonial society, or other 
subdivision), according to the Native American traditional knowledge of 
an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
    <bullet> There is a connection between the cultural item described 
in this notice and Protect Keopuka Ohana.

[[Page 25642]]

Requests for Repatriation

    Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural item 
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 item in this notice to a requestor may 
occur on or after July 17, 2025. If competing requests for repatriation 
are received, the Peabody Essex Museum must determine the most 
appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint 
repatriation of the cultural item are considered a single request and 
not competing requests. The Peabody Essex Museum 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: June 11, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-11149 Filed 6-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on June 17, 2025.

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