Notice of Intended Repatriation: Boston Children's Museum, Boston, MA

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Boston Children's Museum intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of sacred objects 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 54754-54755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17180]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N7420; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0043526; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: Boston Children's Museum, 
Boston, MA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Boston Children's Museum intends to 
repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of sacred 
objects 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 Melissa Higgins, Boston Children's 
Museum, 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#88e0e1efefe1e6fbc8eae7fbfce7e6ebe0e1e4ecfaede6fbe5fdfbedfde5a6e7faef"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6008090707090e1320020f13140f0e0308090c0412050e130d151305150d4e0f1207">[email&#160;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 Boston 
Children's Museum, 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 eight cultural items have been requested for 
repatriation. The eight sacred objects are two [revaps]Umeke 
L[amacr][revaps]au (Wooden Bowls), an Ipu Wai (Water Container), an 
[revaps]Ulu Maika (Bowling Stone), an I[revaps]e Kuku (Tapa Beater), an 
Koko (Net Holder for Bowl), an P[omacr]haku Ku[revaps]i [revaps]Ai (Poi 
Pounder), and a L[umacr]he[revaps]e (Octopus Lure).
    The Ipu Wai, [revaps]Ulu Maika, and I[revaps]e Kuku were donated to 
the museum in 1915 by Lucy M. Prince of Boston, after it was collected 
by her sister, Frances C. Prince, in 1898 on a trip to the Pacific 
Islands to gather materials for lectures.
    One of the [revaps]Umeke L[amacr][revaps]au was donated to the 
museum in 1949 by Dorothy Hildreth of Cambridge, Massachusetts. While 
the other [revaps]Umeke L[amacr][revaps]au is bereft of accession and 
provenance information, contextual information such as its object ID 
number indicate it was most likely donated to the museum during or 
before the year of 1930.
    The Koko, indicated to be 100 years old at time of sale, and the 
P[omacr]haku Ku[revaps]i [revaps]Ai, noted to have originated in Kauai, 
was purchased by the museum in 1968 from Joseph A. O'Leary of Opa-
Locka, Florida.
    The L[umacr]he[revaps]e's provenance is unfortunately unknown. 
Based-off of the museum staffs' knowledge of the institution's 
cataloging system (XX numbering), the object was most likely Found-in-
Collections during the 1950s-60s but actually donated or gifted in the 
earlier years of the museum, c. 1913-1930.
    All of these items have cultural associations with Hui Iwi 
Kuamo[revaps]o. No potentially hazardous substances are known to have 
been used to treat any of these items.

Determinations

    Boston Children's Museum has determined that:
    <bullet> The eight sacred objects described in this notice are 
specific ceremonial

[[Page 54755]]

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 Hui Iwi Kuamo[revaps]o.

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, Boston Children's Museum 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. Boston Children's Museum 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. 2026-17180 Filed 8-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P


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