Notice2026-05042
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles, 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
March 16, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Autry Museum of the American West (Southwest Museum Collection) 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 50 (Monday, March 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12619-12620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05042]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6983; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042304; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Autry Museum of the American
West, Los Angeles, 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 Autry Museum of the American West
(Southwest Museum Collection) 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 April 15, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Karimah Richardson, M.Phil., RPA,
Associate Curator of Anthropology and Repatriation Supervisor, Autry
Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA
90027, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2d465f444e454c5f495e42436d5945484c58595f5403425f4a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cca7bea5afa4adbea8bfa3a28cb8a4a9adb9b8beb5e2a3beab">[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
Autry Museum of the American West, 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 eight cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The eight sacred objects are two cornhusk medicine masks,
two dance rattles, and four tobacco offering baskets. On an unknown
date, Mr. Mark Raymond Harrington collected the medicine masks and
dance rattles (195.L.23, 24, 35, and 49) from unknown locations in New
York. In 1930, Mr. Harrington loaned and then later donated the
cultural materials to the Southwest Museum (now part of the Autry
Museum of the American West) after he started working for the museum as
curator of archaeology. The tobacco offering baskets (900.G.91,
900.G.92, 900.G.93, 1719.G.6) were collected from unknown locations in
New York around 1908 and later donated to the Southwest Museum by Mr.
Harrington in 1942 using funds from the Charles Avery Amsden Memorial
Collection.
A total of one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The one sacred object is one dance mask. On an unknown date, Mr. Irvin
S. Cobb collected the dance mask (491.G.1399) from an unknown location
in western New York. The Southwest Museum purchased this cultural item
in 1945 using funds from the General Charles McC Reeve fund. It was
purchased from Mr. Cobb, who most likely bought it from Mr. Jay Fern
Snively, a dealer in Native American artifacts.
A total of one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The one object of cultural patrimony is one pipe tomahawk. The pipe
tomahawk (517.G.2) was collected by the relative of Major FR Burnham
before 1830 from unknown location in Western New York. It once belonged
to Seneca Chief Red Jacket and went to the Burnham family before the
Chief's death in 1830. The cultural item then went to Admiral DeChair,
who carried it to China, India, the Mediterranean countries, and
England. Eventually, it was returned to the Burnham family. The pipe
tomahawk was donated to the Southwest Museum in 1940 by Major FR
Burnham.
A total of two cultural items have been requested for repatriation.
The two unassociated funerary objects are two lots of trade beads. On
an unknown date, Mr. Edward Butts collected trade beads (964.G.251A/B)
from Livingston County, near Avon in New York. Mr. J.G. Braecklein an
amateur archaeologist who also purchased archaeological material from
other collectors, acquired part of the Butts collection, which he later
donated to the Southwest Museum.
A total of 27 cultural items have been requested for repatriation.
The 25 sacred objects are nine medicine masks, one written prayer, two
tobacco offerings, five rattles, one flute, five wampum strings, one
necklace, and one string of shell beads. The two sacred objects/objects
of cultural patrimony are one medicine mask and one wampum stick. The
cultural items (1409.G Collection) were collected by Mr. Joseph
Keppler, an avid collector of Native American objects, between 1890-
1935 from an unknown location in New York and were donated to the
Southwest Museum by Mrs. Vera Keppler, Mr. Joseph Keppler's wife, in
1959.
A total of one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The one sacred object is one medicine mask. On an unknown date, an
unknown collector collected a medicine mask (1582.G.46) from an unknown
location in New York. The cultural item was donated to the Southwest
Museum by Mrs. Clyde Porter in 1959.
Determinations
The Autry Museum of the American West has determined that:
<bullet> The two 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
[[Page 12620]]
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 35 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 one object of cultural patrimony described in this
notice have ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance
central to the Native American group, including any constituent sub-
group (such as a band, clan, lineage, ceremonial society, or other
subdivision), according to the Native American traditional knowledge of
an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
<bullet> The two sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony
described in this notice are, according to the Native American
traditional knowledge of an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization, specific ceremonial objects needed by a traditional
Native American religious leader for present-day adherents to practice
traditional Native American religion, and have ongoing historical,
traditional, or cultural importance central to the Native American
group, including any constituent.
<bullet> There is a connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Seneca Nation of Indians and the Tonawanda Band
of Seneca.
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 April 15, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Autry Museum of the American West 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 Autry Museum of the
American West 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: March 5, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-05042 Filed 3-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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