Notice2025-23357
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Columbia University, Art Properties, New York, NY
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), Columbia University, Art Properties intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of 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 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 59567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23357]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6754; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041622; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Columbia University, Art
Properties, New York, NY
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Columbia University, Art Properties intends
to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of
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 Roberto Ferrari, Columbia University,
Art Properties, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, 1172 Amsterdam
Avenue, New York, NY 10027, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a3c2d1d7d3d1ccd3c6d1d7cac6d0e3cfcac1d1c2d1da8dc0cccfd6cec1cac28dc6c7d6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="48293a3c383a27382d3a3c212d3b0824212a3a293a31662b27243d252a2129662d2c3d">[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
Columbia University, Art Properties 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 11 cultural items have been requested for repatriation.
The 11 objects of cultural patrimony are one medicine bundle, four
medicine bundle cases, one group of bird skins for medicine bundles,
one group of medicine bundle ties, one hawk medicine bundle, one fossil
tooth medicine bundle, one eagle feather hairpiece, and one ceremonial
rattle. All items were removed from the Plains region and were donated
to Columbia University in 1935 by Wendell Ter Bush, Professor of
Philosophy. Columbia University, Arts Properties has no knowledge of
any potentially hazardous substances used to treat the objects.
Determinations
The Columbia University, Art Properties has determined that:
<bullet> The 11 objects of cultural patrimony described in this
notice have 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 reasonable connection between the cultural
items described in this notice and the Northern Arapaho Tribe of the
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming.
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, Columbia University, Art Properties must
determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation. Requests
for joint repatriation of the cultural items are considered a single
request and not competing requests. The Columbia University Art
Properties 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 11, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23357 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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