Notice2026-07945
Notice of Intended Repatriation: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
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
April 23, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an unassociated funerary object and that has 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 78 (Thursday, April 23, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 78 (Thursday, April 23, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21839-21840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07945]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7096; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042629; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: American Museum of Natural
History, New York, NY
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 American Museum of Natural History
(AMNH) intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the
definition of an unassociated funerary object and that has a cultural
affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in
this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice may occur on or
after May 26, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural item in this notice to Nell Murphy, American Museum of Natural
History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b2dcdfc7c0c2dacbf2d3dfdcda9cddc0d5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f59b988087859d8cb594989b9ddb9a8792">[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
American Museum of Natural History, 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 one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The one unassociated funerary object is a ceramic vessel. Charles R.
Olberg removed this vessel from the Coachella Valley, Riverside County,
California at an unknown time and sold it to the Museum of the American
Indian, Heye Foundation in 1917. The AMNH accessioned the vessel in
1919 when it was acquired through exchange.
While it no longer does so, in the past, the Museum applied
potentially
[[Page 21840]]
hazardous pesticides to items in the collections. Museum records do not
list specific objects treated or which of several chemicals used were
applied to a particular item. Therefore, those handling this material
should follow the advice of industrial hygienists or medical personnel
with specialized training in occupational health or with potentially
hazardous substances.
Determinations
The American Museum of Natural History has determined that:
<bullet> The one unassociated funerary object described in this
notice is 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> There is a connection between the cultural item described
in this notice and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the
Agua Caliente Reservation, California.
Requests for Repatriation
Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural item
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 item in this notice to a requestor may
occur on or after May 26, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation
are received, the American Museum of Natural History must determine the
most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint
repatriation of the cultural item are considered a single request and
not competing requests. The American 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 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: April 15, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-07945 Filed 4-22-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 23, 2026.
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