Notice2025-23197
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Wilson Museum, Castine, ME
Primary source
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Published
December 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Wilson Museum 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 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59175-59177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23197]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6753; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041518; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Wilson Museum, Castine, ME
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 Wilson Museum 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 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Abby Dunham, Wilson Museum, P.O. Box
196, 120 Perkins St., Castine, ME 04421, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b1c3d4c1d0c5c3d8d0c5d8dedff1c6d8ddc2dedfdcc4c2d4c4dc9fdec3d6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f38196839287819a92879a9c9db3849a9f809c9d9e868096869edd9c8194">[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
Wilson 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 116 cultural items has been requested for repatriation,
including 101 unassociated funerary objects, 14 sacred objects, and one
object of cultural patrimony.
One unassociated funerary object is a worked stone from Chattooga
County, Georgia, collected by and/or acquired from W.A. Marshall in
1924.
Six unassociated funerary objects are stone tools, ornaments, and
worked stone acquired from Warren King Moorehead (Moorehead)on an
unknown date from unknown locations in Georgia.
Four unassociated funerary objects are one lot of mica fragments
and three lots of pottery sherds collected by Birkbeck Wilson on an
unknown date from unknown locations in Georgia.
One unassociated funerary object is a stone knife collected by E.S.
Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from an unknown location in
Kentucky, referenced in museum records as ``Dreek'' County.
Two unassociated funerary objects are stone tools acquired from
Moorehead on an unknown date from unknown locations in Kentucky.
Five unassociated funerary objects are stone tools and worked stone
collected
[[Page 59176]]
by E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from Franklin, Macon
County, North Carolina.
One unassociated funerary object is a stone point from an unknown
collector on an unknown date from an unknown location in North
Carolina.
One unassociated funerary object is a lot of quartz stone points
collected by John Howard Wilson on an unknown date from Camden, Kershaw
County, South Carolina.
Two unassociated funerary objects are: one lot of approximately 50
stone tools, two pottery sherds, and one animal tooth; and one lot of
approximately 35 stone tools and nine pottery sherds collected by John
Howard Wilson on an unknown date from Knight's Hill, Camden, Kershaw
County, South Carolina.
Four unassociated funerary objects are stone tools acquired by John
Howard Wilson from the Charleston Museum on an unknown date, from
unknown locations in South Carolina.
Five unassociated funerary objects are worked stones collected by
E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from the Little River in
Blount, Sevier, and Knox Counties, Tennessee.
Seven unassociated funerary objects are stone tools collected by
E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from Chattanooga,
Hamilton County, Tennessee.
Two unassociated funerary objects are stone celts collected by E.S.
Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from the Pigeon River, Cocke
County, Tennessee.
One unassociated funerary object is one lot of approximately 115
stone tools celts collected by E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an
unknown date from Mine Lick Creek, DeKalb County, Tennessee.
21 unassociated funerary objects are worked stone, stone tools, and
pottery sherds collected by Birkbeck Wilson on an unknown date from
Dover, Stewart County, Tennessee.
10 unassociated funerary objects are worked stone and stone tools
collected by Birkbeck Wilson on an unknown date from Cumberland River,
Dover, Stewart County, Tennessee.
Four unassociated funerary objects are stone scrapers collected by
Moorehead at an unknown date from Hancock County, Tennessee.
Three unassociated funerary objects are worked stones collected by
E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from Hardin County,
Tennessee.
One unassociated funerary object is a stone spear collected by E.S.
Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from Lincoln County,
Tennessee.
One unassociated funerary object is a worked stone collected by
Moorehead at an unknown date from Upper Hampton Place, Rhea County,
Tennessee.
One unassociated funerary object is a worked stone collected by
E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from a rock shelter in
Sevier County, Tennessee.
Three unassociated funerary objects are stone points collected by
an unknown person on an unknown date from Zimmerman's Island, Jefferson
County, Tennessee.
Four unassociated funerary objects are stone tools collected by
E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from unknown locations
in Tennessee.
Three unassociated funerary objects are worked stone and stone
tools collected by Moorehead on an unknown date from unknown locations
in Tennessee.
Three unassociated funerary objects are worked stone and stone
tools from an unknown collector on an unknown date from unknown
locations in Tennessee.
Four unassociated funerary objects are stone points collected by
Moorehead and/or John Howard Wilson at an unknown date from unknown
locations in Virgina.
One unassociated funerary object is a stone scraper collected by
Moorehead on an unknown date from Mason County, West Virginia.
One sacred object is a pipe collected by Moorehead on an unknown
date from an unknown location in Georgia.
Four sacred objects are one worked stone, two stone celts, and one
lot of pottery sherds collected by E.S. Byington for Moorehead on an
unknown date from a mound on the Little Pigeon River, Haywood County,
North Carolina.
One sacred object is one lot of pottery sherds and stone tools
collected by John Howard Wilson on an unknown date from a mound near
Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina.
One sacred object is a stone pipe collected by E.S. Byington for
Moorehead on an unknown date from a quarry near Franklin, Williamson
County, Tennessee.
Two sacred objects are stone pipes collected by Moorehead on an
unknown date from a quarry near Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee.
One sacred object is one lot of pottery sherds collected by E.S.
Byington for Moorehead on an unknown date from McMahon Mound, Sevier,
Sevier County, Tennessee.
One sacred object is a notched stone collected by Moorehead in 1919
from McMahon Mound, Sevier, Sevier County, Tennessee.
One sacred object is one lot of pottery sherds collected by E.S.
Byington for Moorehead in 1919 from North Bank Trench, Romsay Mound,
Cooke County, Tennessee.
Two sacred objects are a stone celt and a lot of pottery sherds
collected by E.S. Byington for Moorehead in 1919 from a mound a mound
on Zimmerman's Island, Jefferson County, Tennessee.
One object of cultural patrimony is a clay figure from the
collection of Moorehead collected ca. 1884 from a stone grave near
Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.
Determinations
The Wilson Museum has determined that:
<bullet> The 101 unassociated funerary objects described in this
notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with
or near human remains, and are connected, either at the time of death
or later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a Native American
culture according to the Native American traditional knowledge of a
lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization. The
unassociated funerary objects have been identified by a preponderance
of the evidence as related to human remains, specific individuals, or
families, or removed from a specific burial site or burial area of an
individual or individuals with cultural affiliation to an Indian Tribe
or Native Hawaiian organization.
<bullet> The 14 sacred objects 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 one object of cultural patrimony described in this
notice has 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 Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
[[Page 59177]]
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 20, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Wilson Museum 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 Wilson 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.
Dated: December 3, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23197 Filed 12-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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