Notice2025-23000
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
Primary source
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Published
December 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Missouri Historical Society (MHS) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of 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 240 (Wednesday, December 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58596-58597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23000]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6655; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041392; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Missouri Historical Society, St.
Louis, MO
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
[[Page 58597]]
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Missouri Historical Society (MHS)
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition
of 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 16, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Brady Wolf, Missouri Historical
Society, 225 S Skinker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d0b2a7bfbcb690bdbfb8b9a3a4bfa2a9febfa2b7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2143564e4d47614c4e494852554e53580f4e5346">[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
MHS, 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 eight cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The eight objects of cultural patrimony are four
petroglyphs and four pictographs.
At an unknown time prior to 1891 Dr. James Patrick of Belleville
Illinois removed a carved stone petroglyph of a footprint from its
original location in either Madison or St. Clair County, Illinois. He
transferred it to the MHS in 1891.
In 1905 George Dickson of Alton Illinois removed four pictographs
from their original location at Levis Bluff. He sold the pictographs to
the MHS in 1921 via a deal with Dr. Henry Milton Whelpley.
At an unknown time, an unknown person or persons took one carved
petroglyph of a footprint from an unknown site in Ste. Genevieve, Ste.
Genvieve County, Missouri. This petroglyph was found and catalogued
during a 1966 inventory of cultural heritage stewarded by the MHS
performed by personnel at the University of Missouri, Columbia.
At an unknown time prior to 1915 an unknown person or person took
one carved petroglyph of a footprint from the Donnell Site in Jefferson
County, Missouri. This petroglyph was found and catalogued during a
1993 internal inventory at the MHS.
At an unknown time prior to 1915 an unknown person or person took
one carved petroglyph of a footprint from an unknown locality in
Illinois or Missouri. This petroglyph was found and catalogued during a
1993 internal inventory at the MHS.
Determinations
The MHS has determined that:
<bullet> The eight 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 Osage 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 January 16, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the MHS 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 MHS 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 21, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23000 Filed 12-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 17, 2025.
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