Notice2026-09415
Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Tempe, AZ
Primary source
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Published
May 12, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Arizona State University (ASU) Center for Archaeology and Society Repository (CASR; acting in place of the ASU School of Human Evolution and Social Change) 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 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25902-25903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09415]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7147; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042764; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and Arizona State University,
School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Tempe, AZ
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 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the
Arizona State University (ASU) Center for Archaeology and Society
Repository (CASR; acting in place of the ASU School of Human Evolution
and Social Change) 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 June 11, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Tamara Billie, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Mailbox 44, Albuquerque, NM 87104,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#493d2824283b28672b202525202c092b2028672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2e5a4f434f5c4f004c474242474b6e4c474f00494158">[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
BIA 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 28 cultural items has been requested for repatriation.
The six lots of unassociated funerary objects are: one lot of
faunal bone, two lots of cloth, and three lots of ground stone. The 22
sacred objects are: two lots of ceramics, three lots of chipped stone,
seven lots of ground stone, and 10 lots of shell. The items were
removed from six Gila Farms sites in Pinal County, AZ, during two
separate
[[Page 25903]]
archaeological undertakings of survey, subsurface testing, and
excavation fieldwork associated with ASU in 1977.
Determinations
The BIA has determined that:
<bullet> The six lots of 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 22 sacred objects 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 Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of
Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River
Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; and the Zuni
Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.
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 BIA 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 BIA 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. 2026-09415 Filed 5-11-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 12, 2026.
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