Notice2026-11701
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
June 11, 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 intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects that have a cultural affiliation with the Native Hawaiian organization in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35544-35545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-11701]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7225; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042977; 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
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition
of unassociated funerary objects that have a cultural affiliation with
the Native Hawaiian organization in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice may occur on
or after July 13, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural items in this notice to Nell Murphy, American Museum of
Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e6888b9394968e9fa6878b888ec8899481"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ae4e7fff8fae2f3caebe7e4e2a4e5f8ed">[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 five cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The five unassociated funerary objects are one
hammerstone, one whetstone or net sinker, and three stone discs or game
stones. These items were sold to the Museum by the Lt. Col. Linscott A.
Hall in 1946, having been excavated from burials at Ahua Point,
O[revaps]ahu, between March and May of 1938. Hall was a member of the
U.S. Army Coast Artillery stationed at Fort Kamehameha on O[revaps]ahu
for two and a half years, beginning in 1937.
The human remains that accompanied the funerary objects are notated
to have been given to a Captain Thompson at Fort Kamehameha. It is well
known that the area of Ahua Point and Fort Kamehameha consisted of
burial grounds that were disturbed by the US military for various
improvement projects over the years. Circa 2003, a reburial vault was
constructed at Fort Kamehameha through collaboration between
descendants and the Navy to house the many Native Hawaiian human
remains that have been unearthed in the area.
While it no longer does so, in the past, the Museum applied
potentially 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 five 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
[[Page 35545]]
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 items described
in this notice and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
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 July 13, 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 items 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: June 5, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-11701 Filed 6-10-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on June 11, 2026.
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