Notice2026-04042
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office, Lakewood, CO
Primary source
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Published
March 2, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office (BLM Colorado State Office), 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 91 Issue 40 (Monday, March 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 40 (Monday, March 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 10121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04042]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6955; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042091; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office, Lakewood, CO
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 the Interior, Bureau
of Land Management, Colorado State Office (BLM Colorado State Office),
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 April 1, 2026. If no claim for disposition
is received by March 2, 2027, the human remains or cultural items in
this notice will become unclaimed human remains or cultural items.
ADDRESSES: Send written claims for disposition of the human remains or
cultural items in this notice to Natalie Clark, Deputy Preservation
Officer, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office, 2815 H Road,
Grand Junction, CO 81506, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c88a8485978b879786898f989a8988aaa4a5e6afa7be"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e2a0aeafbda1adbdaca3a5b2b0a3a2808e8fcc858d94">[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
BLM Colorado State Office and additional information on the human
remains 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 at
least one individual have been reasonably identified. The human remains
consist of one phalanx, one medium to large bone, and multiple bone
fragments. The one lot of unassociated funerary objects and/or sacred
objects are beads, bone tubes, bone tools, ceramic sherds, faunal bone,
stone tools, flakes, projectile points, and groundstone. The human
remains and unassociated funerary objects and/or sacred objects were
removed from Rio Blanco County, Colorado, specifically archaeological
site 5RB104 (``Sky Aerie Promontory''), in 1993. At the time, the human
remains of at least nine individuals were removed from the site and
were reburied elsewhere circa 2000 in consultation and coordination
with the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. The
human remains in this notice are likely part of the original nine
individuals. The site was heavily looted prior to excavation, resulting
in the disassociation of cultural items from their original context.
Due to the site disturbance, the funerary objects have been identified
as unassociated because they were removed from a specific area where a
burial site is known to have existed, but the burial site is no longer
extant.
Determinations
The BLM Colorado State Office has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of at least one individual of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> The one or more 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 one or more 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> The Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico;
Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern
Ute Reservation, Colorado; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray
Reservation, Utah; and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 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 March 2, 2027, 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, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that they have priority for disposition.
Disposition of the human remains or cultural items in this notice
may occur on or after April 1, 2026. If competing claims for
disposition are received, the BLM Colorado State Office must determine
the most appropriate claimant prior to disposition. Requests for joint
disposition of the human remains or cultural items are considered a
single request and not competing requests. The BLM Colorado State
Office 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: February 20, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-04042 Filed 2-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 2, 2026.
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