Notice2025-22924
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Ball State University, Muncie, IN
Primary source
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Published
December 16, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Ball State University intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and/or objects of cultural patrimony 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 239 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 58267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22924]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6649; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041382; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Ball State University, Muncie,
IN
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 Ball State University intends to
repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of
unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and/or objects of
cultural patrimony 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 January 15, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Chyan Gilaspy, Ball State University,
Applied Anthropology Laboratories, 2000 W Riverside Avenue, Muncie, IN
47306, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#337d7274636172735140461d565746"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ed0dfd9ceccdfdefcedebb0fbfaeb">[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
Ball State University 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 four cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The one sacred object is a carved wooden staff and the
three objects of cultural patrimony one weaved basket and two carved
spindle whorls. The four cultural items were donated by a single
private donor in 1983 (spindle whorls), 2013 (basket), and 2018
(staff). The staff was purchased from an auction and was previously
part of the Valentine Pasvolsky collection. These cultural items were
geographically affiliated to the Northwest Coast. The basket was
culturally affiliated as ``Coast Salish''. The three remaining cultural
items were not culturally affiliated, but museum files compared the
items to other known Salish cultural items. There are no institutional
records indicating hazardous substances were used to treat any of the
cultural items listed but XRF testing of other items in the collection
have tested positive for the presence of arsenic, mercury, and/or lead.
Determinations
The Ball State University has determined that:
<bullet> The one sacred object described in this notice are
specific ceremonial objects needed by a traditional Native American
religious leader for present-day adherents to practice traditional
Native American religion, according to the Native American traditional
knowledge of a lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization.
<bullet> The three objects of cultural patrimony described in this
notice have ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance
central to the Native American group, including any constituent sub-
group (such as a band, clan, lineage, ceremonial society, or other
subdivision), according to the Native American traditional knowledge of
an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
<bullet> There is a connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation.
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 January 15, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Ball State University 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 Ball State University 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: November 20, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-22924 Filed 12-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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