Notice2025-23380
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Primary source
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Published
December 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), The State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59572-59573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23380]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6814; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041634; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
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 State Museum of Pennsylvania 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
[[Page 59573]]
item in this notice to Barbara Frederick, PHMC, The State Museum of
Pennsylvania, 300 North Street Harrisburg, PA 17120, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ceacafa8bcabaaabbca7ad8ebeafe0a9a1b8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a4c6c5c2d6c1c0c1d6cdc7e4d4c58ac3cbd2">[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
State Museum of Pennsylvania, 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 mask. This mask was purchased by Gerald B.
Fenstermaker from a dealer in Auburn, New York. It is identified in
museum records as Onondaga style. This item has been housed at The
State Museum of Pennsylvania since c. 1932 under accession 32.35. No
hazardous substances have been used to treat this item.
Determinations
The State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 Onondaga Nation.
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 State Museum of Pennsylvania 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 State Museum of
Pennsylvania 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. 2025-23380 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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