Notice2026-00059
Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, San Francisco, CA
Primary source
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Published
January 7, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and/or 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 91 Issue 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 531-532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00059]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6828; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041689; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
San Francisco District, San Francisco, 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 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San
Francisco District intends to repatriate certain cultural items that
meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects,
and/or 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 February 6, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Ruzel Benedicto Ednalino, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San
Francisco, CA 94102, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c6b4b3bca3aae8a4e8a3a2a8a7aaafa8a986b3b5a7a5a3e8a7b4abbfe8abafaa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="82f0f7f8e7eeace0ace7e6ece3eeebecedc2f7f1e3e1e7ace3f0effbacefebee">[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
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, 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 182 cultural items from site CA-MEN-545 in Mendocino
County, CA have been requested for repatriation. The 182 unassociated
funerary objects are: one chert biface, one chert blade, one chert
chopper, two chert cores, three basalt flakes, 100 chert flakes, 38
lithic flakes, 15 obsidian flakes, three handstones, two chert
projectile points, eight obsidian projectile points, one piece of
rubber, five chert scrapers, and two stones. These cultural items are
currently located at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA.
A total of 372 cultural items from site CA-MEN-546 in Mendocino
County, CA have been requested for repatriation. The 372 unassociated
funerary objects are: nine charcoal samples (six have not yet been
located), four chert cobbles, two chert cores, two pieces of basalt
debitage, 195 pieces of chert debitage, two pieces of obsidian
debitage, 56 chert flakes, five obsidian flakes (four have not yet been
located), two pieces of glass, nine pieces of groundstone, 62 pieces of
basalt groundstone, 17 pieces
[[Page 532]]
of sandstone groundstone, four chert projectile points, two chert
scrapers, and one tool. These cultural items are currently located at
Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA.
A total of 11 cultural items from site CA-MEN-551 in Mendocino
County, CA have been requested for repatriation. The 11 unassociated
funerary objects are: one charcoal sample, one piece of groundstone,
one piece of basalt groundstone, three pieces of leather, three shell
fragments, and two pieces of burned wood. These cultural items are
currently located at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA.
A total of 39 cultural items from site CA-MEN-553 in Mendocino
County, CA have been requested for repatriation. The 39 unassociated
funerary objects are: one obsidian biface, 24 chert flakes, three
obsidian flakes, one handstone, two chert projectile points, seven
obsidian projectile points, and one chert scraper. These cultural items
are currently located at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA.
A total of 477 cultural items from site CA-MEN-555 in Mendocino
County, CA have been requested for repatriation. The 477 sacred objects
are: one chert biface, 63 pieces of charcoal, one chert core, 170
pieces of chert debitage (143 have not yet been located), 14 faunal
remains (two have not yet been located), 95 chert flakes (41 have not
yet been located), one obsidian flake, seven flotation samples, 103
pieces of groundstone (23 have not yet been located), one chert
projectile point, one obsidian projectile point, 17 pieces of fire
cracked rock (17 have not yet been located), one shell fragment, and
two fragments of wood. These cultural items are currently located at
Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA.
A total of one cultural item from site CA-MEN-588 or CA-MEN-589 in
Mendocino County, CA has been requested for repatriation. The one
unassociated funerary object is an obsidian projectile point. This
cultural item is currently located at Sonoma State University in
Rohnert Park, CA.
A total of 20 cultural items from site CA-MEN-1137 in Mendocino
County, CA have been requested for repatriation. The 20 unassociated
funerary objects are two abalone shell fragments and 18 faunal remains.
The cultural items were likely removed during archaeological survey and
excavations in the 1960s. These cultural items are currently located at
Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, CA.
A total of 47 cultural items from unknown sites in Mendocino
County, CA that are currently housed at Sonoma State University in
Rohnert Park, CA have been requested for repatriation. The unassociated
funerary objects are: one chert biface, 15 pieces of charcoal, 11
pieces of chert debitage, 12 faunal remains, one chert flake, five
pieces of groundstone (have not yet been located), one stone mortar,
and one obsidian projectile point.
A total of seven cultural items from unknown sites in Mendocino
County, CA that are currently housed at San Francisco State University
in San Francisco, CA have been requested for repatriation. The seven
unassociated funerary objects are: one obsidian biface, one obsidian
chopper, three obsidian projectile points, and two chert unifaces.
These cultural items were likely removed during archaeological survey
at the Coyote Valley Dam and Lake Mendocino in the mid-to-late 1950s.
To our knowledge, the cultural items described herein have not been
treated with any known hazardous substances.
Determinations
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District has
determined that:
<bullet> The 679 unassociated funerary objects described in this
notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with
or near human remains, and are connected, either at the time of death
or later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a Native American
culture according to the Native American traditional knowledge of a
lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization. The
unassociated funerary objects have been identified by a preponderance
of the evidence as related to human remains, specific individuals, or
families, or removed from a specific burial site or burial area of an
individual or individuals with cultural affiliation to an Indian Tribe
or Native Hawaiian organization.
<bullet> The 477 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.
<bullet> There is a connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians of
California.
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 February 6, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San
Francisco District 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 U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District 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 18, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-00059 Filed 1-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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