Notice2026-09407
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of California, Davis, Davis, 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
May 12, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of objects of cultural patrimony and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 25919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09407]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7139; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042755; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of California, Davis,
Davis, CA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of California, Davis (UC
Davis) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the
definition of 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 June 11, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Megon Noble, Repatriation Coordinator,
University of California, Davis, 251 Mrak Hall, One Shields Avenue,
Davis, CA 95616, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#630e0d0c010f062316000702150a104d060716"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="90fdfefff2fcf5d0e5f3f4f1e6f9e3bef5f4e5">[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 UC
Davis, 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 three cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The three objects of cultural patrimony are baskets and a
basket fragment. The University is unaware of any specific treatment of
the individual objects of cultural patrimony with pesticides,
preservatives, or other substances that represent a potential hazard to
the objects or to persons handling the objects. However, records
located in the Department of Anthropology Museum indicate that
approximately \1/3\ of the Merriam collection had been treated with
Berlou, a dry mothproofing substance used as an insecticide, in 1964.
It is unknown which baskets were treated.
The objects of cultural patrimony include CHM 71, which Merriam
purchased in San Francisco, but documented its source as the Hoopa
Valley in Trinity County. Merriam identified CHM 72 and CHM 1268 from
Trinity River at the junction of South Fork and specifically as
Tsnungwe. The Blue Lake Rancheria is a Tribe that includes enrolled
descendants from Athapaskan and Hupa tribal communities, a shared
descendancy and identity with the Tsnungwe Tribe.
Determinations
UC Davis has determined that:
<bullet> The three objects 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> There is a reasonable connection between the cultural
items described in this notice and the Blue Lake Rancheria, 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 June 11, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the UC Davis 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 UC Davis 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: May 5, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-09407 Filed 5-11-26; 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 May 12, 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.