Notice2025-23343
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz, CA
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 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of sacred object 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 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59575-59576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23343]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6770; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041537; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural
History, Santa Cruz, CA
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 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition
of sacred object 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 Kathleen Aston, Santa Cruz Museum of
Natural History, 1305 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz 95060, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#88ebe7e4e4edebfce1e7e6fbc8fbe9e6fce9ebfafdf2e5fdfbedfde5a6e7faef"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ceada1a2a2abadbaa7a1a0bd8ebdafa0baafadbcbbb4a3bbbdabbba3e0a1bca9">[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
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 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 three cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The three sacred objects are a makau (fishhook), kapa
(bark cloth), and a moena lauhala (mat). The makau was collected by Dr.
Alex H. Bailey around 1900, and then given to Laura Hecox of Santa
Cruz, CA. The records for the kapa indicate that it was also collected
about 1900 in Hawaii, and was at some point prior to 1905 given to
Laura Hecox. The records for the moena lauhala indicate that it was
collected in the ``South Sea Islands'' in the late 19th or early 20th
century, and has subsequently been identified as Hawaiian in
consultation with Hui Iwi Kuamo[revaps]o. The Santa Cruz Museum of
Natural History has no records that indicate that any of these cultural
items were treated with potentially hazardous substances.
Determinations
The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History has determined that:
<bullet> The three 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.
[[Page 59576]]
<bullet> There is a connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Hui Iwi Kuamo[revaps]o.
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 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
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 Santa Cruz Museum of
Natural History 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 4, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23343 Filed 12-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 19, 2025.
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