Notice2026-00667
Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of the Cherokee People, Cherokee, NC
Primary source
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Published
January 15, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Museum of the Cherokee People (MotCP) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1809-1810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00667]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6859; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041837; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of the Cherokee People,
Cherokee, NC
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 Museum of the Cherokee People (MotCP)
has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary
objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between
the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or
Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice may occur on or after February 17, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Evan Mathis, Museum
of the Cherokee People, P.O. Box 1599, 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, NC
28719, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e98c9f8887c784889d81809aa984869d8a99c7869b8e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fb9e8d9a95d5969a8f939288bb96948f988bd594899c">[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
Museum of the Cherokee People, and additional information on the
determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation,
can be found in its inventory or related records. The National Park
Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Human ancestral remains representing, at least, three individuals
have been identified from 9R14, the White's Mound Site. No associated
funerary objects are present. The White's Mound site is situated on the
Savannah River in Richmond County, Georgia. After completing the
consultation process with federally recognized Tribal Nations, this
site is culturally affiliated with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of
Florida, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians,
the Seminole Nation, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It is unknown
when or by whom the individuals were removed, but they were transferred
to the Augusta Richmond County Museum (ARCM) sometime prior to 1981.
Richard Wescott, the Executive Director of the ARCM, transferred the
individuals to the Museum of the Cherokee People in 1992, where they
have been housed since that time. To our knowledge, no hazardous
substances were used to treat any of the human ancestral remains.
Human ancestral remains representing, at least, one individual has
been identified from 9SN20, the Ebenezer Archaeological Site. The one
associated funerary object is a canine of an unidentified animal that
was stored with the individual. The Ebenezer Archaeological Site is
situated in the Ebenezer Creek Watershed, located in Screven County,
Georgia, near the Savannah River. After completing the consultation
process with federally recognized Tribal Nations, this site is
culturally affiliated with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida,
the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, the
Seminole Nation, and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It is unknown when
or by whom the individuals were removed, but they were transferred to
the Augusta Richmond County Museum (ARCM) sometime prior to 1981.
Richard Wescott, the Executive Director of the ARCM, transferred the
individuals to the Museum of the Cherokee People in 1992, where they
have been housed since that time. To our knowledge, no hazardous
substances were used to treat any of the human ancestral remains or the
associated funerary object.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical
location or acquisition history of the human remains and
[[Page 1810]]
associated funerary objects described in this notice.
Determinations
The Museum of the Cherokee People has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of four 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> There is a connection between the human remains and
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Miccosukee
Tribe of Indians; Poarch Band of Creek Indians; Seminole Tribe of
Florida; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; and The Seminole Nation of
Oklahoma.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the
authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES.
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations identified in this notice.
2. 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 an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with
cultural affiliation.
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after February
17, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
Museum of the Cherokee People must determine the most appropriate
requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the
human remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single
request and not competing requests. The Museum of the Cherokee People
is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes
and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and any
other consulting parties.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: January 9, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-00667 Filed 1-14-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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