Notice of Intended Repatriation: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA

Primary source

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Published

September 23, 2026

Issuing agencies

Interior DepartmentNational Park Service

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an object of cultural patrimony and that has 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 183 (Wednesday, September 23, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 23, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60403-60404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19467]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N7503; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0043797; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

Notice of Intended Repatriation: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Richmond, VA

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 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts intends to
repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an
object of cultural patrimony and that has a cultural affiliation with
the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES: Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice may occur on or
after October 23, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the
cultural item in this notice to Siera Hyte, Schiller Family Curator of
Indigenous American Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N Arthur
Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23220, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e99a808c9b88c781909d8ca99f848f88c7849c9a8c9c84"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d0a3b9b5a2b1feb8a9a4b590a6bdb6b1febda5a3b5a5bd">[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
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 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 one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The one object of cultural patrimony is a pair of beaded moccasins. The
museum's records indicate that they were made in the 19th century and
are culturally affiliated with one of the Ute Tribes. The moccasins
were purchased by Robert and Nancy Nooter from an antiquities business
known as Mystic Warriors owned and operated by Bruce and Ilene Johnson
in Evergreen, Colorado. Robert and Nancy Nooter likely purchased the
moccasins from Mystic Warriors during the Historic Indian & World
Tribal Arts show in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2005. The moccasins were
accessioned into the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts collection in 2016.
It is not currently known when, under what circumstances, or from whom
Mystic Warriors acquired the moccasins. Results of consultation with
the Southern Ute Indian Tribe confirm that the moccasins are an object
of cultural patrimony belonging to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
Further, consultation confirmed that the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
does not have the right of possession to the moccasins, as the Southern
Ute Indian Tribe would not have willingly alienated them from the
Tribe. To the museum's knowledge, no potentially hazardous substances
have been used to treat the moccasins.

Determinations

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has determined that:
<bullet> The one object of cultural patrimony described in this
notice has ongoing historical, traditional, or

[[Page 60404]]

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 item described
in this notice and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute
Reservation, Colorado.

Requests for Repatriation

Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural item
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 item in this notice to a requestor may
occur on or after October 23, 2026. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts must
determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation.
Requests for joint repatriation of the cultural item are considered a
single request and not competing requests. The Virginia Museum of Fine
Arts 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: September 17, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-19467 Filed 9-22-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P

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