Notice2025-18860
Notice of Inventory Completion: California Department of Transportation, Oakland, CA
Primary source
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Published
September 29, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has completed an inventory of associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 186 (Monday, September 29, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 186 (Monday, September 29, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 46632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-18860]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6564; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041188; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: California Department of
Transportation, Oakland, 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 California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) has completed an inventory of associated funerary objects
and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the
associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the associated funerary objects in this notice
may occur on or after October 29, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the associated
funerary objects in this notice to Lindsay Busse and Althea Asaro, PQS
Principal Investigators--Prehistoric Archaeology, California Department
of Transportation, District 4, 111 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1d717473796e7c64337f686e6e785d797269337e7c337a726b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="066a6f686275677f2864737575634662697228656728616970">[email protected]</span></a> and <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7e3f120a161b1f503f0d1f0c113e1a110a501d1f50191108"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b7f6dbc3dfd2d699f6c4d6c5d8f7d3d8c399d4d699d0d8c1">[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
Caltrans, and additional information on the determinations in this
notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its
inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not
responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
The 1,830 associated funerary objects are catalog entries
representing lithics, soil samples, clay, charcoal, faunal remains,
shell and beads; of the 1,830 associated funerary object catalogs, 83
catalog numbers are missing and Caltrans and Sonoma State University
(SSU) and San Francisco State University (SFSU) continue to look for
them. These collections are primarily the result of archaeological
investigations along Highway 101 in Novato in Marin County for Caltrans
improvement projects between 1966 and 2005 at archaeological site CA-
MRN-192 (Acc. #47-0 & 2005-3). There were known/documented potentially
hazardous substances in the SFSU facility where cultural items were
previously housed, which may have contaminated the housing (bags/
boxes). This is currently remediated with personal protective equipment
(PPE), but through consultation, the housing may be replaced before the
transfer of custody.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available
about the associated funerary objects described in this notice.
Determinations
Caltrans has determined that:
<bullet> The 1,830 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> There is a connection between associated funerary objects
described in this notice and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria,
California.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the associated funerary
objects in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative
identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation
may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations 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 the requestor is a lineal
descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with
cultural affiliation.
Repatriation of the associated funerary objects described in this
notice to a requestor may occur on or after October 29, 2025. If
competing requests for repatriation are received, Caltrans must
determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation.
Requests for joint repatriation of the associated funerary objects are
considered a single request and not competing requests. Caltrans is
responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and
Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: September 18, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-18860 Filed 9-26-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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