Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and California State University Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the California State University Stanislaus 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 167 (Monday, August 31, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 167 (Monday, August 31, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 55906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17703]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N7453; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0043587; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and California State 
University Stanislaus, Turlock, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau 
of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the California State University Stanislaus 
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 September 30, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the 
cultural items in this notice to Tamara Billie, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Office of Trust Services, Division of Environmental Services 
and Cultural Resources Management, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Mailbox 
44, Albuquerque, NM 87104, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3f4b5e525e4d5e115d565353565a7f5d565e11585049"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="750114181407145b171c19191c1035171c145b121a03">[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 the 
BIA 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 20 cultural items have been requested for repatriation. 
The 20 objects of cultural patrimony are pottery sherds and groundstone 
items. These objects of cultural patrimony were removed from the Pauma 
Band of Luise[ntilde]o Mission Indians Reservation land in San Diego 
County, California by Lewis K. Napton with the Institute for 
Archaeological Research, California State College, Stanislaus 
(Stanislaus State). Archeological surveys were conducted in 1978 and 
1979 in search of evidence of cultural resources in preparation for 
housing construction on the Reservation as requested by the All Mission 
Indian Housing Authority (AMIHA), Valley Center, California. The 
objects of cultural patrimony have since been housed at Stanislaus 
State and were never officially accessioned by the university. An 
unknown number of unidentified cultural items may be missing from the 
collections, which may include other categories of items. Stanislaus 
State continues to search for any additional items that were removed 
from the Pauma Band of Luise[ntilde]o Mission Indians Reservation to 
support their repatriation to the Tribe. There is no documentation that 
these items have been treated with chemical, harmful, or hazardous 
substances in the past.

Determinations

    The BIA has determined that:
    <bullet> The 20 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 Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the 
Pauma & Yuima Reservation, 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 September 30, 2026. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the BIA 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 BIA 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 20, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-17703 Filed 8-28-26; 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>