Notice2026-02702
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, 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
February 11, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Sonoma State University 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 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6256-6258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02702]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6925; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041998; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Sonoma State University, Rohnert
Park, 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), Sonoma State University 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 March 13, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Kirsten Twork, Sonoma State
University, 1801 E Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#afdbd8c0ddc4c4efdcc0c1c0c2ce81cacbda"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1367647c61787853607c7d7c7e723d767766">[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 Sonoma
State University, 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 2,568 lots of cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. Of the cultural items being requested 2,485 lots are
unassociated funerary objects and 83 lots are sacred objects.
A total of 1,821 lots of unassociated funerary objects were removed
from CA-SON-518 in Cotati, California in Sonoma County. Items were
removed from the site during two different time periods. The first
removal occurred in 1973 during the Gossage Creek site excavation. The
second occurred in 1989 during the Stony Point Road reconstruction
test. The items include flaked stone debitage, flaked stone tools,
charcoal, ash, botanical materials, ground stone tools, ocher, fire
cracked rock, baked clay, modified faunal bone, unmodified faunal bone,
historic
[[Page 6257]]
material, modified shell, and unmodified shell. The cultural items have
been at Sonoma State University since their removal from the site.
A total of 172 lots of unassociated funerary objects were removed
from CA-SON-447 in Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma County. Items
were removed from the site during two different time periods. The first
removal occurred in 1973 during the Russian River Water Supply Project.
This project was proposed by the Marin Municipal Water District to
construct an aqueduct from the Russian River and Mark West Creek in
Sonoma county to Terra Linda in Marin County. The second occurred in
1990, additional information as to why the cultural material was
removed from the site was not found. The items include groundstone
tools, charmstone, flaked stone debitage, flaked stone tools,unmodified
faunal bone and unmodified shell. The cultural items have been at
Sonoma State University since their removal from the site.
A total of 24 lots of unassociated funerary objects were removed
from CA-SON-1442 in Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma County. Items
were removed from the site during two different time periods. The first
removal occurred in 1984 and the second occurred in 1987. Further
detail as to why the items were removed was not located.The items
include flaked stone debitage and ground stone tools. The cultural
items have been at Sonoma State University since their removal from the
site.
A total of 277 lots of unassociated funerary objects were removed
from CA-SON-1794 and CA-SON-1975 in Cotati, California in Sonoma
County. Items were removed from the sites during the Stony Point Road
Road Reconstruction Project. The items include groundstone tools,
flaked stone debitage, flaked stone tools, historic material, organic
material, unmodified faunal bone and unmodified shell. The cultural
items have been at Sonoma State University since 1989.
A total of two lots of unassociated funerary objects were removed
from the surface on Sonoma State University's campus in Rohnert Park,
California. The items include flaked obsidian and a possible
groundstone tool. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State
University since 2021.
A total of 174 lots of unassociated funerary objects were removed
from the ground on Sonoma State University's campus in Rohnert Park,
California. The material was removed during the construction of the
Green Music Center. The items include groundstone tools, historic
material, flaked stone debitage, and modified stone tools . The
cultural items have been at Sonoma State University since 2006.
A total of 15 lots of unassociated funerary objects were removed
from the Fairfield Osborn Preserve in Penngrove, California. The
cultural material was removed from display and brought to the
Anthropology Studies Center in August 2020. The items include
groundstone tools, historic material, flaked stone debitage, and
modified stone tools. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State
University since.
A total of 17 lots of sacred objects were removed from CA-SON-1567
in Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma County. Further detail as to why
the items were removed was not located. The items include flaked stone
debitage. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State University since
1987.
A total of 21 lots of sacred objects were removed from CA-SON-686
in Cotati, California in Sonoma County. Items were removed from the
site during two different time periods. The first removal occurred in
1978 the second occurred in 1988. Further detail as to why the items
were removed was not located. The items include flaked stone debitage
and modified stone tools. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State
University since their removal from the site.
A total of two lots of sacred objects were removed from CA-SON-927
in Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma County. Further detail as to why
the items were removed was not located. The items include modified
stone tools. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State University
since 1977.
A total of eight lots of sacred objects were removed from their
origin in Cotati, California in Sonoma county and donated to the
university by Nancy Moore. The items include modified stone tools,
flaked stone debitage, and historic period material. The cultural items
have been at Sonoma State University since 1976.
A total of five lots of sacred objects were removed during the
Crane Creek Regional Park survey in Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma
county. The items include modified stone tools and flaked stone
debitage. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State University since
1973.
A total of 13 lots of sacred objects were removed from CA-SON-1506
in Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma County. Further detail as to why
the items were removed was not located. The items include modified
obsidian and flaked debitage. The cultural items have been at Sonoma
State University since 1986.
A total of five lots of sacred objects were removed from CA-SON-
1923 in Rohnert Park, California in Sonoma County. The cultural items
were collected on Sonoma State University's campus. The items include
flaked obsidian. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State
University since 1991.
A total of 10 lots of sacred objects were removed during the
construction of new dorms on Sonoma State University's campus in
Rohnert Park, California. The items include flaked obsidian and
modified obsidian. The cultural items have been at Sonoma State
University since 1998.
A total of two lots of sacred objects were removed from CA-SON-1016
in Cotati, California in Sonoma County. The cultural items were removed
during an archaeological evaluation of a portion of the site that
overlapped with the Cotati Creek Bypass Project for the City of Cotati.
The work was conducted by the Anthropological Studies Center at Sonoma
State University. The items include flaked chert. The cultural items
have been at Sonoma State University since 2005.
In the case of missing cultural items, any additional items when
located will also be repatriated from the collections discussed above.
Based on records concerning the cultural items and the institution in
which they are housed, there is no evidence of the items being treated
with hazardous substances.
Determinations
Sonoma State University has determined that:
<bullet> The 2,485 lots of 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 83 lots 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,
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Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization.
<bullet> There is a connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria,
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 March 13, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, Sonoma State University 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 Sonoma State University 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: February 4, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-02702 Filed 2-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 11, 2026.
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