Notice2025-14265
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Air Force, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Santa Barbara 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 Department of the Air Force, Vandenberg Space Force Base intends to carry out the disposition of human remains and associated funerary objects removed from Federal land to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California.
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]
[Page 35718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-14265]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6390; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040643; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Air Force,
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Santa Barbara 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 Department of the Air Force, Vandenberg
Space Force Base intends to carry out the disposition of human remains
and associated funerary objects removed from Federal land to the Santa
Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation,
California.
DATES: Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects
in this notice may occur on or after August 28, 2025. If no claim for
disposition is received by July 29, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects.
ADDRESSES: Send written claims for disposition of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice to Josh Smallwood,
Vandenberg Space Force Base Cultural Resources, Installation Tribal
Liaison Officer/Cultural Resources Manager, SLD 30 CES/CEIEA, 1028
Iceland Avenue, Building 11146, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA 93437-
6010 email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7e0d0a1f1d07500d131f12120911111a504f3e0d0e1f1d1b18110c1d1b50131712"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="96e5e2f7f5efb8e5fbf7fafae1f9f9f2b8a7d6e5e6f7f5f3f0f9e4f5f3b8fbfffa">[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
Department of the Air Force, and additional information on the human
remains and associated funerary objects in this notice, including the
results of consultation, can be found in the related records. The
National Park Service is not responsible for the identifications in
this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
In October 2024, the Repository for Archaeological and Ethnographic
Collections at University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) found a
teaching collection that included NAGPRA items which had been kept in a
locked storage at UCSB. The Repository transferred the items to
Vandenberg Space Force Base on 31 January 2025. The collection
contained human remains, a bone cast, and associated funerary objects
from two different archaeological sites, CA-SBA-208 and CA-SBA-225. The
collection also contained associated funerary objects from cemetery
areas of three different archaeological sites, CA-SBA-210, CA-SBA-552,
and CA-SBA-734. Based on the information available, human remains
representing at least two individuals have been reasonably identified.
The 16 associated funerary objects including projectile points, shell
beads and ornaments, stone tools, and animal bones were also found.
Determinations
The Department of the Air Force, Vandenberg Space Force Base has
determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of at least two individuals of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> The 16 associated funerary objects described in this
notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with
or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as part
of the death rite or ceremony.
<bullet> The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the
Santa Ynez Reservation, California has priority for disposition of the
human remains and cultural items described in this notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains and associated
funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the appropriate
official identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. If no claim for
disposition is received by July 29, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects. Claims for disposition may be
submitted by:
1. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that they have priority for disposition.
Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects in
this notice may occur on or after August 28, 2025. If competing claims
for disposition are received, the Department of the Air Force,
Vandenberg Space Force Base must determine the most appropriate
claimant prior to disposition. Requests for joint disposition of the
human remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single
request and not competing requests. The Department of the Air Force,
Vandenberg Space Force Base is responsible for sending a copy of this
notice to the lineal descendants, 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. 3002, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.7.
Dated: July 16, 2025.
Mariah Soriano,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-14265 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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