Notice2026-05967
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Center for Natural Lands Management, Temecula, CA
Primary source
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Published
March 27, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Center for Natural Lands Management 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 59 (Friday, March 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 59 (Friday, March 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 14868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05967]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7020; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042478; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Center for Natural Lands
Management, Temecula, 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 Center for Natural Lands Management
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 27, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Deborah Rogers, Center for Natural
Lands Management, 27258 Via Industria, Suite B, Temecula, CA 92590,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4327312c2426313003202d2f2e6d2c3124"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f1b0d10181a0d0c3f1c11131251100d18">[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
Center for Natural Lands Management, 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 approximately 55 cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The 54 lots of unassociated funerary objects are
ceramics, lithics, bone, groundstone, beads, and shells. The one sacred
object is the contents of a Shaman's pipe. The objects were likely
found in Riverside County, California, in the vicinity of Thousand
Palms Oasis. When the Center for Natural Lands Management acquired the
Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve, the objects were found to have been
collected in boxes in the Palm House. There is no evidence of hazardous
substances being used to treat any of the items.
Determinations
The Center for Natural Lands Management has determined that:
<bullet> The 54 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 sacred object 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 connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the
Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, 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 April 27, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Center for Natural Lands Management 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 Center for Natural Lands
Management 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 20, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-05967 Filed 3-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 27, 2026.
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