Notice of Intended Repatriation: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Waterford, NY

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (NYOPRHP) 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 162 (Monday, August 24, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 162 (Monday, August 24, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54760-54761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17174]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N7440; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0043543; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: New York State Office of Parks, 
Recreation & Historic Preservation, Waterford, 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 New York State Office of Parks, 
Recreation & Historic Preservation (NYOPRHP) 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 September 23, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the 
cultural items in this notice to Jessica Vavrasek, New York State 
Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Peebles Island 
State Park, P.O. Box 189, Waterford, NY 12188-0189, email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#642e0117170d07054a320512160517010f241405160f174a0a1d4a030b12"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1c56796f6f757f7d324a7d6a6e7d6f79775c6c7d6e776f327265327b736a">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the

[[Page 54761]]

National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
NYOPRHP 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 187 cultural items have been requested for repatriation. 
The 50 unassociated funerary objects include wampum, pendants, gorgets, 
celts, adzes, ceramic bowl, pipe fragments, ceramic pots, bear teeth, 
and bear jaw. The 137 sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony 
include lithics, net sinkers, nutting stones, projectile points, coin, 
shells, historic artifacts, pipe fragments, metal and a button. Objects 
on display at Trailside Museum at Bear Mountain State Park. Exact 
origins of these objects is unknown but suspected of being from in or 
around the park. The objects smell strongly of mothballs, other 
preservation treats conducted on these objects are unknown. The objects 
recovered from the Nicoll Farm and O'Rourke Farm were excavated from a 
known Ancestral burial site and were later donated/stored on Iona 
Island within Bear Mountain State Park. No preservation treatments have 
been conducted on these to the best of our knowledge.

Determinations

    The NYOPRHP has determined that:
    <bullet> The 50 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 137 sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony 
described in this notice are, according to the Native American 
traditional knowledge of an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization, specific ceremonial objects needed by a traditional 
Native American religious leader for present-day adherents to practice 
traditional Native American religion, and 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).
    <bullet> There is a connection between the cultural items described 
in this notice and the Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe of 
Indians; and the Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin.

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 September 23, 2026. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the NYOPRHP 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 NYOPRHP 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: August 17, 2026.
Mariah Soriano,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-17174 Filed 8-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P


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