Notice2025-23194
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A. Newfields, Indianapolis, IN
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 Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A. Newfields 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 59163-59164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23194]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6744; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041503; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc.
D.B.A. Newfields, Indianapolis, 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 Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A.
Newfields 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 Jennifer Gallatin Rigsby, Indianapolis
Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A. Newfields, 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis,
IN 46208, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b6dcc4dfd1c5d4cff6d2dfc5d5d9c0d3c4d8d3c1d0dfd3dad2c598d9c4d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4c263e252b3f2e350c28253f2f233a293e22293b2a252920283f62233e2b">[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
Indianapolis
[[Page 59164]]
Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A. Newfields, 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 a basket. The basket was given to the museum
in 1924 by Mrs. Wood Levette Wilson who obtained the basket from the
Chittenden Collection. The basket is made of coiled willow or sumac;
round; edged with deer-hide and hair rope; band of woven decoration,
black, red and with four black symbolic motifs; arrow head fastened to
top inside.
Determinations
The Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A. Newfields has
determined that:
<bullet> The one sacred object described in this notice is a
specific ceremonial object 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 connection between the cultural item described
in this notice and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the
Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, California.
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 Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A.
Newfields 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
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc. D.B.A. Newfields 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: December 2, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23194 Filed 12-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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