Notice2025-23387
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Bismarck, ND
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 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands intends to carry out the disposition of human remains, associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony removed from Federal or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization with priority for disposition 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 59574-59575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23387]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6820; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041641; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Bismarck, ND
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 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands intends to carry out the disposition
of human remains, associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary
objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony removed from
Federal or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribe, or
Native Hawaiian organization with priority for disposition in this
notice.
DATES: Disposition of the human remains or cultural items in this
notice may occur on or after January 20, 2026. If no claim for
disposition is received by December 21, 2026, the human remains or
cultural items in this notice will become unclaimed human remains or
cultural items.
[[Page 59575]]
ADDRESSES: Send written claims for disposition of the human remains or
cultural items in this notice to Bethany A. Ihle, Dakota Prairie
Grasslands, 2000 Miriam Circle, Bismarck, ND 58501, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#452720312d242b3c6b2c2d292005303621246b222a33"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e78582938f86899ec98e8f8b82a792948386c9808891">[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
Dakota Prairie National Grasslands, and additional information on the
human remains or cultural items in this notice, including the results
of consultation, can be found in the related records. The National Park
Service is not responsible for the identifications in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Based on the information available, human remains representing two
individuals have been reasonably identified from two different
locations. One associated funerary object has been identified.
On July 31, 2022, a single cranial bone was discovered on a sand
bar in the Little Missouri River in Billings County, North Dakota. This
was exposed by a significant flooding event and reported to the
Billings County Sheriff's Department, who transferred custody to the
Billings County Medical Examiner on August 3, 2022. The medical
examiner determined the remains to be the parietal bone of an adult
human predating the present time. No associated funerary objects were
identified.
On October 19, 2024, a human cranium was discovered along a deep,
heavily eroded ravine in McKenzie County, North Dakota. This was
reported to the McKenzie County Sheriff's Department and was originally
thought to be a modern forensics case. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) took custody of the remains and determined that the
cranium belonged to a Native American, likely female, that predates the
present time and is not a forensic matter. The one associated funerary
object is a bone awl.
Determinations
The Dakota Prairie Grasslands has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of two individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The one object described in this notice is reasonably
believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual
human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite
or ceremony.
<bullet> The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian
Reservation, Montana and the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort
Berthold Reservation, North Dakota have priority for disposition of the
human remains or cultural item described in this notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains or cultural
items in this notice must be sent to the appropriate official
identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. If no claim for disposition
is received by December 21, 2026, the human remains or cultural items
in this notice will become unclaimed human remains or cultural items.
Claims for disposition may be submitted by:
1. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice who shows that they have
priority for disposition.
Disposition of the human remains or cultural items in this notice
may occur on or after January 20, 2026. If competing claims for
disposition are received, the Dakota Prairie Grasslands must determine
the most appropriate claimant prior to disposition. Claims for joint
disposition of the human remains or cultural items are considered a
single claim and not competing claims. The Dakota Prairie Grasslands is
responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the lineal
descendants, 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. 3002, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.7.
Dated: December 11, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23387 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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