Notice of Intended Repatriation: Sauk County Historical Society, Baraboo, WI

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Sauk County Historical Society (SCHS) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and/or 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 199 (Friday, October 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 199 (Friday, October 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65761-65762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21111]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N7558; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0043932; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: Sauk County Historical Society, 
Baraboo, WI

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 Sauk County Historical Society (SCHS) 
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition 
of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and/or 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 November 16, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the 
cultural items in this notice to Sara Oostdik, Sauk County Historical 
Society, PO Box 651, Baraboo, WI 53913, email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0665737467726974467567736d65697368727f6e6f757269747f28697461"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fd9e888f9c89928fbd8e9c88969e928893898495948e89928f84d3928f9a">[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 
SCHS, 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 five cultural items have been requested for 
repatriation. The one unassociated funerary object is a doll with no 
head collected from Flaxman Island near Barrow, Alaska. The four 
objects of cultural patrimony are a wood tool with bone blade, bone 
tool with steel blade, piece of ivory with two drilled holes, and a 
horn ladle. All five items were reportedly collected by arctic explorer 
Ernest DeKoven Leffingwell, while he was stationed at Flaxman Island 
(1906--1914) and researching the region around Barrow, AK. These items 
were originally loaned to the SCHS in 1938 by Florence Van Orden and in 
2025 were donated to the SCHS by her grandson Lucas Schuyler Van Orden 
IV. There is no known history of hazardous substances being used on 
these items.

Determinations

    The SCHS has determined that:
    <bullet> The one unassociated funerary object described in this 
notice is reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or 
near human remains, and is connected, either at the time of death or 
later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a Native American

[[Page 65762]]

culture according to the Native American traditional knowledge of a 
lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization. The 
unassociated funerary object has been identified by a preponderance of 
the evidence as related to human remains, specific individuals, or 
families, or removed from a specific burial site or burial area of an 
individual or individuals with cultural affiliation to an Indian Tribe 
or Native Hawaiian organization.
    <bullet> The four 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 Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional 
Government.

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 November 16, 2026. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the SCHS 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 SCHS 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: October 7, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-21111 Filed 10-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P


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