Notice2025-15857
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN, and University of Tennessee, McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, Knoxville, TN
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 20, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA) and the University of Tennessee, McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture (UTK) 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 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 40648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15857]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6433; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040840; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN,
and University of Tennessee, McClung Museum of Natural History &
Culture, Knoxville, TN
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 Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA) and the University of
Tennessee, McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture (UTK) 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 September 19, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Phillip R. Hodge, Tennessee Department
of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA),
1216 Foster Avenue, Cole Building #3, Nashville, TN 37243, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#015169686d2f496e65666441756f2f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f9a9919095d7b1969d9e9cb98d97d79e968f">[email protected]</span></a>, and Dr. Ellen Lofaro, University of Tennessee (UTK),
5723 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN 37996, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c4aaa5a3b4b6a584b1b0afeaa1a0b1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="503e31372022311025243b7e353425">[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
TDEC-DOA and UTK, 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 two lots of cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The two lots of unassociated funerary objects are one lot
of shell and one lot of lithics. Both lots of unassociated funerary
objects were removed from the 40CR3 site in 1962 by members of the
Tennessee Archaeological Society (TAS) and subsequently brought to UTK.
40CR3, located in Carter County, Tennessee, is a multi-component,
early-to-middle Woodland site (~1000 BCE-1000 CE). To the best of our
knowledge, no potentially hazardous substances were used to treat these
cultural items.
Determinations
TDEC-DOA and UTK have determined that:
<bullet> The two lots of 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 Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Cherokee
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation;
and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
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 September 19, 2025. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, TDEC-DOA and UTK 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. TDEC-DOA and UTK are 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: August 5, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-15857 Filed 8-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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