Notice of Intended Repatriation: California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects 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 203 (Thursday, October 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 203 (Thursday, October 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 66733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21540]



[[Page 66733]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N7587; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0044039; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: California State University, 
Fullerton, Fullerton, 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), California State University, Fullerton 
(CSUF) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the 
definition of unassociated funerary objects 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 23, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the 
cultural items in this notice to Sean Walker, California State 
University, Fullerton, 2600 Nutwood Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92831, email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#efbcb8aea3a4aabdafa9baa3a3aabdbba0a1c1aaabba"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e4b7b3a5a8afa1b6a4a2b1a8a8a1b6b0abaacaa1a0b1">[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 CSUF, 
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 979 cultural items have been requested for repatriation. 
The 232 unassociated funerary objects are ceramic vessels and sherds, 
beads, manos and mano fragments, chipped stone tools, debitage, 
hammerstones, mauls, projectile points, and shell. The 747 objects of 
cultural patrimony include ceramic vessels and sherds, beads, manos, 
metates, a pestle, debitage, shell, modified faunal bone including bone 
awls, chipped stone tools, abraders, a shaft straightener, 
hammerstones, mauls, modified stone, a stone mortar, faunal bone, 
pendants, organic material, projectile points, and one lot of 
uncategorized cultural material.
    Unassociated funerary objects and objects of cultural patrimony 
were collected by Earl and Mildred Wilson, private collectors that 
focused primarily on areas of New Mexico and Arizona in the 1950s and 
1960s. The Wilsons numbered their collecting locations from 0 to 53 and 
recorded them on hand-drawn maps and with annotations on an Arizona/New 
Mexico road map. Notebooks from the Wilsons contain detailed 
descriptions of objects, locations, and dates of collection. Unnumbered 
but named collecting locations include Pete Bacca's Ranch, Candelaria 
Ranch, Bibo's Ranch, Floyd Lee Ranch, Grants, NM, in the sand hills, 
Mirabel's Ranch, and near Milan, NM. The Wilsons wrote that most 
cultural items were removed from locations in the vicinity of Grants, 
NM and most were from areas along NM State Road 117. Wilson locations 
#21, 27, 35, and 46 were noted as sites of human burials. The cultural 
items were brought to CSUF in 1974 for curation. The university 
purchased the collection in 1981 and recorded it as Accession #1.
    Additional objects of cultural patrimony consisting of a basaltic 
lava stone mortar and metate were also identified. These items (Acc. 
95.24, Acc. 95.25) were donated to CSUF by Charles Ruby, a private 
collector, in 1983.
    CSUF has not identified any records indicating the presence of any 
potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the cultural 
items.

Determinations

    CSUF has determined that:
    <bullet> The 232 unassociated funerary objects described in this 
notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with 
or near human remains, and are connected, either at the time of death 
or later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a Native American 
culture according to the Native American traditional knowledge of a 
lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization. The 
unassociated funerary objects have 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 747 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 Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico.

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 23, 2026. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, CSUF 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. CSUF 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 15, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-21540 Filed 10-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P


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