Notice2026-05370
Notice of Inventory Completion: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, 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 19, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, CA has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 53 (Thursday, March 19, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 53 (Thursday, March 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13330-13331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05370]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6992; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042344; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History, Santa Barbara, CA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History,
Santa Barbara, CA has completed an inventory of human remains and has
determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human
remains and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this
notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains in this notice may occur on or
after April 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
in this notice to Luke Swetland, President and CEO, Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA
93105, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e18d929684958d808f85a192838f8095949384d3cf8e9386"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1d716e6a7869717c73795d6e7f737c69686f782f33726f7a">[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
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and additional information on
the determinations in this notice, including the results of
consultation, can be found in its inventory or related records. The
[[Page 13331]]
National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this
notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human
remains include one reconstructed/repaired cranium and mandible donated
by Miss Gladys Hodges, of Santa Barbara, CA, in 1980. This skull was
likely discovered by Miss Hodges' tenant, William Thomas Frey (an art
restoration enthusiast) while hiking in the hills around the Santa
Barbara/Ventura region.
Human remains representing, at least, 19 individuals have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human
remains include four crania, and more than 36 bones and bone fragments.
These Ancestral remains are of unknown provenience and most likely have
been in the Museum's possession since the early 1900s.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human
remains include one cranium donated by the Santa Barbara State Teachers
College in 1925.
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 described in this
notice.
Determinations
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of at least 21 individuals of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> There is a connection between the human remains described
in this notice and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of
the Santa Ynez Reservation, California.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains 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 described in this notice to a
requestor may occur on or after April 20, 2026. If competing requests
for repatriation are received, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to
repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains are
considered a single request and not competing requests. The Santa
Barbara Museum of Natural History is responsible for sending a copy of
this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: March 11, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-05370 Filed 3-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 19, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.