Notice2026-00866
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA
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
January 16, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of California, Riverside intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of sacred objects 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 11 (Friday, January 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 11 (Friday, January 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2149-2150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00866]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6876; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041865; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of California,
Riverside, Riverside, 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 University of California, Riverside
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition
of sacred objects 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 17, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Megan Murphy, University of
California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92517-5900,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#93fef6f4f2fdbdfee6e1e3fbead3e6f0e1bdf6f7e6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4d20282a2c236320383f3d25340d382e3f63282938">[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
University of California, Riverside, 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 three cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The three sacred objects are one large Red Abalone shell
(Haliotis rufescens), one large Pink Abalone shell (Haliotis
corrugata), and one small Black Abalone shell (Haliotis cracherodii).
At an unknown date three abalone shells were donated to the
University of California, Riverside Anthropology Department and housed
with a collection of other cultural materials used for teaching
archaeological laboratory courses. Labels adhered to the interior of
the shells indicated that they were removed from the waters near Santa
Catalina Island, Los Angeles county. Through tribal consultation with
the UCR NAGPRA Program, the
[[Page 2150]]
culturally affiliated Native American tribes shared expert tribal
knowledge that identifies Abalone shells as having ongoing spiritual
and sacred significance for their communities. Abalone are known to
have been immensely important to their ancestors for use in ceremonies
which continue to be practiced by the communities today. Santa Catalina
Island, Los Angeles County is within the aboriginal and ancestral
homeland of the culturally affiliated Native American tribes.
Determinations
The University of California, Riverside has determined that:
<bullet> The three 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 reasonable connection between the cultural
items described in this notice and the La Jolla Band of Luiseno
Indians, California; Pala Band of Mission Indians; Pauma Band of
Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation, California;
Pechanga Band of Indians (previously listed as Pechanga Band of Luiseno
Mission Indians of the Pechanga Reservation, California); Rincon Band
of Luiseno Mission Indians of Rincon Reservation, California; Santa
Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation,
California; and the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, 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 17, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the University of California, Riverside 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 University of
California, Riverside 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: January 9, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-00866 Filed 1-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 16, 2026.
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