Notice2025-11933
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA
Primary source
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Published
June 27, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum) 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 122 (Friday, June 27, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 122 (Friday, June 27, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 27662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11933]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040443; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of Pennsylvania
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA
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 University of Pennsylvania Museum of
Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum) 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 July 28, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Dr. Christopher Woods, University of
Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6324, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#680c011a0d0b1c071a28180d0606051d1b0d1d0546071a0f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="513538233432253e231121343f3f3c242234243c7f3e2336">[email 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
Penn 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 272 cultural items have been requested for repatriation.
The 272 unassociated funerary objects consist of tools such as adze
heads, handles, crooked knives, dog harness swivels, drills, needles,
scrapers, snow goggles, and wrist shields; hunting implements including
arrowheads, bullets, harpoon fragments and cases, an atlatl, lance
head, and bow; and dishware such as bowls, cups, ladles, and plates.
Additional items include pipe fragments, sled parts, amulets, charms,
beads, and dentalium shells. Object materials include stone, metal,
glass, and organic materials such as wood, shell, animal bone, ivory,
antlers, leather, and sinew. Two items have a known presence of lead.
The items were collected by Edward Avery McIlhenny from Barrow,
Alaska, between 1897 and 1898, who was in the Barrow area at this time
assembling archaeological and ethnographical collections on behalf of
the Penn Museum and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
The items were accessioned into the collection of the University of
Pennsylvania, Department of Archaeology and Paleontology (now, Penn
Museum) in 1899. Of the 272 items, 15 were collected from the Cape
Smythe graveyard (a Historic cemetery east of Utkiavik) and 257 were
collected from the Point Barrow cemetery (the Historic Nixeruk
cemetery), both in the North Slope Borough region of Alaska.
Determinations
The Penn Museum has determined that:
<bullet> The 272 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 connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional
Government.
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 July 28, 2025. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Penn Museum 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 Penn 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 17, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-11933 Filed 6-26-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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