Notice2026-11702
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 (AMNH) 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 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 35546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-11702]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7226; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042978; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: American Museum of Natural
History, New York, NY
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the American Museum of Natural History
(AMNH) 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 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, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#503e3d252220382910313d3e387e3f2237"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7816150d0a081001381915161056170a1f">[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 seven cultural items have been requested for
repatriation. The seven objects of cultural patrimony comprise a
medicine pipe and its wrappings. In 1905 the previous owner, a
Blackfeet medicine man named Bull Child, had the pipe and its wrappings
shipped from Browning, Montana to Dr. Clark Wissler, then Assistant
Curator of Ethnology. Wissler purchased the pipe from Bull Child and it
was accessioned by the Museum in the same year.
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 seven 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 Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian
Reservation of Montana.
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. 2026-11702 Filed 6-10-26; 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 June 11, 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.