Notice2025-14261
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, and Naval Base Ventura County San Nicolas Island, Ventura County, CA
Primary source
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Published
July 29, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of California, Berkeley and Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) intend 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 143 (Tuesday, July 29, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 29, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35716-35717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-14261]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6342; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040597; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, and Naval Base Ventura County San Nicolas
Island, Ventura County, 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 University of California, Berkeley and
Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) intend 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 August 28, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Alexandra Lucas, Government and
Community Relations, Office of the Chancellor. University of
California, Berkeley, 200 California Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#244a454354564509514746644641564f4148415d0a414051"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a141b1d0a081b570f19183a181f08111f161f03541f1e0f">[email protected]</span></a> and John O'Connor, Ph.D., RPA, Cultural
Resources Manager, Naval Base Ventura County, 311 Main Road, Building
632, Point Mugu, CA 93042, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ef85808781c19bc1808c808181809dd7d7c18c8699af9a9cc1818e9996c1828683"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fd97929593d389d3929e929393928fc5c5d39e948bbd888ed3939c8b84d3909491">[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
University of California, Berkeley and NBVC, 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 24 cultural items have been requested for repatriation.
From 1909 to 1980, 24 unassociated funerary objects were removed from
San Nicolas Island, California by several individuals and donated to
the Lowie Museum of Anthropology (now known by Phoebe A Hearst Museum)
at the University of California, Berkeley. The unassociated funerary
objects are arrow straighteners and arrowheads, bone tools, drills,
faunal remains, fishhooks, hairpins, harpoons, painting supplies, point
fragments, stone cups, stone disks, stone pendants, stone pots, weights
(two missing), whistles, worked shell, and worked stone.
Collections and collection spaces at the Phoebe A Hearst Museum of
Anthropology were treated with substances for preservation and pest
control, some potentially hazardous. No records have been found to date
at the Museum to indicate whether or not chemicals or natural
substances were used prior to 1960.
Determinations
The University of California, Berkeley and NBVC have determined
that:
<bullet> The 24 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
[[Page 35717]]
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 La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians, California;
Pala Band of Mission Indians; Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of
the Pauma & Yuima Reservation, California; Pechanga Band of Indians
(previously listed as Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the
Pechanga Reservation, California); Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission
Indians of Rincon Reservation, California; Santa Ynez Band of Chumash
Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California; and the
Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, 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 August 28, 2025. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the University of California, Berkeley and
NBVC 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 University
of California, Berkeley and NBVC 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: July 9, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-14261 Filed 7-28-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 29, 2025.
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