Notice2025-15858
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Primary source
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Published
August 20, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 40644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15858]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6452; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040864; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, 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 State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 September 19, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Barbara Frederick, Pennsylvania
Historical and Museum Commission, 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA
17120, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ef8d8e899d8a8b8a9d868caf9f8ec1888099"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1577747367707170677c765565743b727a63">[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
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, State Museum of
Pennsylvania, 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 112 cultural items have been requested for repatriation.
The 112 unassociated funerary objects are a gorget fragment, points,
biface, scraper, utilized flake, and chipping debris. This material was
collected by David J. Werner during the mid to late 20th century. It
was received by The State Museum of Pennsylvania in 2004 via donation
from the estate of David J. Werner. The container label indicates these
items were collected from the Hogan site in Morgan County, Alabama.
Determinations
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, State Museum of
Pennsylvania has determined that:
<bullet> The 112 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 Chickasaw Nation; and The
Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
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, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania 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: August 6, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-15858 Filed 8-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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