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Notice2026-19994

Notice of Intended Repatriation: Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
September 30, 2026

Issuing agencies

Interior DepartmentNational Park Service

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Oakland Museum of California 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

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61876-61877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N7530; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0043893; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: Oakland Museum of California, 
Oakland, 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 Oakland Museum of California intends to 
repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of objects 
of cultural

[[Page 61877]]

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 October 30, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the 
cultural items in this notice to Anna Bunting, Oakland Museum of 
California, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607, email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#07696660777566476a727462726a646629687560"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f39d9294838192b39e868096869e9092dd9c8194">[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 
Oakland Museum of California, 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 seven cultural items have been requested for 
repatriation. The seven objects of cultural patrimony are baskets.
    One of the baskets was collected in 1911 by Charles Wilcomb from an 
`Old Woman at Rancheria near Auburn, Placer Co.' and was acquired by 
the Oakland Public Museum (OPM) in 1911. Six of the baskets were 
collected by Charles Wilcomb on May 24, 1912 from `Maidu Tribe near 
Auburn, Placer Co.' They were acquired by OPM in 1914. OPM and its 
collections were incorporated into the Oakland Museum of California in 
1969.
    Institutional records reference treatment of baskets with mercuric 
chloride and gasoline. Requested XRF analysis indicated the presence of 
lead, mercury and zinc on all items. Subsequent requested wipe sampling 
of the surfaces and analysis with ICP-AES (for arsenic, lead and zinc) 
and CV-AAS (for mercury) indicated transferable lead on H16.1784, 
H16.2145, H16.2146, and H16.2147, transferable mercury on H16.1784, and 
transferable zinc on H16.1784 and H16.2136.

Determinations

    The Oakland Museum of California has determined that:
    <bullet> The seven 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 United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn 
Rancheria of 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 October 30, 2026. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the Oakland Museum of California 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 Oakland Museum of 
California 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 24, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-19994 Filed 9-29-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on September 30, 2026.

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