Notice2026-18967
Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Us, San Diego, CA
Primary source
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Published
September 16, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Museum of Us has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 178 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58693-58694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18967]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7486; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0043737; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Us, San Diego, CA
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 Museum of Us has completed an inventory
of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined
that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and
associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice may occur on or after December 15, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Alisha Pico, NAGPRA
Repatriation Manager, Museum of Us, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San
Diego, CA 92101, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c6d7c656f634c61797f697961636a797f22637e6b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1677667f7579567b636573637b7970636538796471">[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
Museum of Us,
[[Page 58694]]
and additional information on the determinations in this notice,
including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or
related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the
determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Human remains representing, at least, 51 individuals have been
identified. The 1,025 associated funerary objects consist of multiple
lots of ground stone, lithics, modified and unmodified faunal bone,
modified and unmodified shell, soil samples, basketry fragments, and
eco/biofacts.
Between 1937 and 1938, via excavations conducted by George Carter,
Assistant Curator at the San Diego Museum (now Museum of Us), human
remains and cultural items were removed from Point Sal (G-1/SBA-125) in
Santa Barbara County, California. Although the Museum of Us no longer
uses pesticides on cultural items, pesticide use did occur from the
beginning of the Museum's founding in 1915 through the 1990s. There is
no specific documentation to indicate pesticide use on these human
remains and cultural items.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available
about the human remains and associated funerary objects described in
this notice.
Determinations
The Museum of Us has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 51 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 1,025 objects described in this notice are reasonably
believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual
human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite
or ceremony.
<bullet> There is a connection between the human remains and
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Santa Ynez
Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation,
California.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the
authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES.
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations identified in this notice.
2. 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 an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with
cultural affiliation.
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after October
16, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
Museum of Us must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to
repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not
competing requests. The Museum of Us is responsible for sending a copy
of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice and any other consulting parties.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: September 10, 2026
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-18967 Filed 9-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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