Notice2026-07385
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office, Lakewood, CO
Primary source
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Published
April 16, 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) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 20486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07385]
[[Page 20486]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7076; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042594; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: 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)
has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary
objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between
the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or
Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice may occur on or after May 18, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects 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#6e2c2223312d2131202f293e3c2f2e0c020340090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4d0f0100120e0212030c0a1d1f0c0d2f2120632a223b">[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
determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation,
can be found in its inventory or related records. The 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. The one associated funerary object is a charcoal sample. In
1975, human remains representing a minimum of one individual were
removed from archaeological site 5MN368 (Weimer Ranch, Battleship
site), in Montrose County, CO. The site was excavated by Metropolitan
State College (MSC) field school classes. In approximately 1999, the
Rimrocker Historical Society acquired collections from MSC, including
the Weimer Ranch, Battleship site, as well as several other sites
excavated in various locations around Colorado by the MSC field school
classes. In 2007, Fort Lewis College Center of Southwest Studies
acquired a portion of these collections from the Rimrocker Historical
Society through a transfer of other site collections. These collections
have been held at Fort Lewis College since 2007. The human remains and
associated funerary object are reasonably believed to be culturally
affiliated with the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico;
Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of
Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New
Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico;
Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico;
Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico;
Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico;
Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of
Zia, New Mexico; Santo Domingo Pueblo; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the
Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah &
Ouray Reservation, Utah; Ute Mountain Ute Tribe; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo;
and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico, based on the
geographical location and the archaeological site type. The human
remains and associated funerary object have not been treated with
hazardous materials.
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 and associated
funerary object described in this notice.
Determinations
The BLM Colorado State Office has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The one object described in this notice is reasonably
believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual
human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite
or ceremony.
<bullet> There is a connection between the human remains and
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Hopi Tribe
of Arizona; Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico;
Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of
Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New
Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico;
Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico;
Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo
of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of
Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Santo Domingo Pueblo;
Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado;
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah; Ute Mountain
Ute Tribe; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo; and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni
Reservation, New Mexico.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after May 18,
2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State
Office must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to
repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not
competing requests. The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land
Management, Colorado State Office is responsible for sending a copy of
this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice and any other consulting parties.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: April 8, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-07385 Filed 4-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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