Notice2025-23200
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO
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 Missouri Historical Society (MHS) 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]
[Page 59165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23200]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6758; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041521; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Missouri Historical Society, St.
Louis, MO
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 Missouri Historical Society (MHS)
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 Brady Wolf, Missouri Historical
Society, 225 S Skinker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0b697c64676d4b66646362787f6479722564796c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2240554d4e44624f4d4a4b51564d505b0c4d5045">[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 one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The number of sacred objects is one catlinite effigy pipe.
At an unknown time prior to 1842 General Stephen Watts Kearny
acquired a carved catlinite pipe depicting an oral history of the
Pawnee Nation. The pipe passed down his family line to his daughter-in-
law Mrs. Henry S. Kearny and granddaughter Mrs. Mary Kearny Coombe who
donated the pipe to the MHS in 1926. MHS records indicate no known
hazardous substances.
Determinations
The MHS 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 connection between the cultural item described
in this notice and the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.
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 MHS 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 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: December 3, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23200 Filed 12-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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