Notice2025-23184
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA
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
December 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Berkshire Museum intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of a sacred object and that has 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 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59161-59162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23184]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6732; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041492; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA
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 Berkshire Museum intends to repatriate a
certain cultural item that meets the definition of a sacred object and
that has a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native
Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice may occur on or
after January 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural item in this notice to Jason Vivori, Berkshire Museum, 39
South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a2c8d4cbd4cdd0cbe2c0c7d0c9d1cacbd0c7cfd7d1c7d7cf8ccdd0c5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ed879b849b829f84ad8f889f869e85849f8880989e889880c3829f8a">[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
Berkshire Museum, 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 one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The one sacred object is an [revaps]ahu [revaps]ula (feather cape). The
[revaps]ahu [revaps]ula was gifted to the Berkshire Athenaeum by Clara
E. Bidwell of Pittsfield, MA in 1877, and transferred to the Berkshire
Museum in 1906. The donor was the cousin of Mercy Patridge Whitney. The
object was first described in 1899 by William T. Brigham in his study
of Hawaiian featherwork. The museum lacks sufficient documentation
regarding the acquisition of the [revaps]ahu[revaps]ula by Mercy
Patridge Whitney to establish right of ownership or to establish lineal
descent.
Determinations
The Berkshire Museum 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> There is a reasonable connection between the cultural item
described in this notice and the Hui Iwi Kuamo[revaps]o.
Requests for Repatriation
Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural item
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 item in this notice to a requestor may
occur on or after January 20, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Berkshire Museum must determine the most
appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint
repatriation of the cultural item are considered a single request and
not competing requests. The Berkshire Museum 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.
[[Page 59162]]
Dated: December 2, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23184 Filed 12-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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