Notice2026-10025
Notice of Intended Repatriation: City of Palmdale, Palmdale, 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 19, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the City of Palmdale 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
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 96 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29162-29163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10025]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7161; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042797; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: City of Palmdale, Palmdale, 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 City of Palmdale 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 18, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Brenda Magana, City of Palmdale, 38250
Sierra Highway, Palmdale, CA 93550, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#16747b777177787756757f626f797066777a7b72777a73757738717960"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93f1fef2f4f2fdf2d3f0fae7eafcf5e3f2fffef7f2fff6f0f2bdf4fce5">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the
[[Page 29163]]
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA.
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the
City of Palmdale, 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 3,774 cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. Between 1995 and 1998, the cultural items were removed
during the Elizabeth Lake Road Improvement Project, in Los Angeles
County. The City of Palmdale served as the overall project proponent.
Petra Resources, Inc. provided archaeological and paleontological
services for several phases of the project.
The 1,029 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are faunal bone
fragments, fire-affected rocks, flaked stone artifacts, groundstone
artifacts, groundstone beads, groundstone pendants, hammerstones,
historic items, modified bone, organic ecofacts, shell beads, stone
ecofacts, botanical samples, C14 samples, faunal samples, and pollen
samples. The cultural items were removed from CA-LAN-953 during work
initially started as part of CEQA mitigation for the Ritter Ranch
development, which was never completed.
The three lots of objects of cultural patrimony are C14 samples.
The cultural items were removed from CA-LAN-954.
The 1,370 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are flaked stone
artifacts, groundstone artifacts, groundstone pendants, historic items,
modified bone, organic ecofacts, pigment, shell beads, shell ecofacts,
soil samples, stone ecofacts, botanical samples, C14 samples, faunal
samples, and pollen samples. The cultural items were removed from CA-
LAN-959 during work initially started as part of CEQA mitigation for
the Ritter Ranch development, which was never completed.
The one lot of objects of cultural patrimony are flaked stone
artifacts. The cultural items were removed from CA-LAN-1335 during test
investigations for the Ritter Ranch Entry Construction.
The two lots of objects of cultural patrimony are botanical
samples. The cultural items were removed from CA-LAN-1552.
The 78 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are flaked stone
artifacts, groundstone artifacts, and hammerstones. The cultural items
were removed from CA-LAN-2311 during testing conducted prior to road
construction during the Elizabeth Lake Road realignment.
The 117 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are faunal bone
fragments, flaked stone artifacts, groundstone artifacts, historic
items, and stone ecofacts. The cultural items were removed from CA-LAN-
2346 during construction of the Amargosa Creek Dam (Detention Basin).
The 366 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are flaked stone
artifacts, groundstone artifacts, groundstone beads, hammerstones,
pigment, soil samples, stone ecofacts, botanical samples, and faunal
samples. The cultural items were removed from CA-LAN-2552 during
testing conducted prior to road construction during the Elizabeth Lake
Road realignment.
The 496 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are flaked stone
artifacts, groundstone artifacts, groundstone pendants, hammerstones,
stone ecofacts, botanical samples, and faunal samples. The cultural
items were removed from CA-LAN-2587 during Elizabeth Lake Road
construction activities.
The 281 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are flaked stone
artifacts, groundstone artifacts, hammerstones, stone ecofacts,
botanical samples, and pollen samples. The cultural items were removed
from CA-LAN-2588 during Elizabeth Lake Road construction activities.
The 30 lots of objects of cultural patrimony are flaked stone
artifacts, groundstone artifacts, groundstone beads, and shell
ecofacts. The cultural items were removed from CA-LAN-ELR during
monitoring at the Amargosa Creek Bridge and the realignment of
Elizabeth Lake Road.
The presence of any potentially hazardous substances being used to
treat the cultural items prior to CDPR acquiring the items is unknown.
Unless state above, all of the cultural items are housed at the
Antelope Valley Indian Museum.
Determinations
The City of Palmdale has determined that:
<bullet> The 3,773 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 connection between the cultural items described
in this notice and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (previously
listed as San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, 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 18, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the City of Palmdale 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 City of Palmdale 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 12, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-10025 Filed 5-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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