Federal Register #2026-09415

Notice of Intended Repatriation of Native American Cultural Items by BIA and ASU

This notice announces the intended repatriation of Native American cultural items by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU): - Government Buyer: - U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) - Arizona State University (ASU) Center for Archaeology and Society Repository - Products/Items for Repatriation: - 28 cultural items, including: - Unassociated funerary objects - Sacred objects - Objects of cultural patrimony - Specific materials: faunal bone, cloth, ground stone, ceramics, chipped stone, shell - Notable Requirements: - Items were removed from archaeological sites in Pinal County, Arizona during ASU fieldwork in 1977 - Repatriation is affiliated with the following tribes: - Ak-Chin Indian Community - Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation - Hopi Tribe of Arizona - Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation - Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona - Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico - Notice issued under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) - Written requests for repatriation must be submitted to the BIA - The National Park Service and San Bernardino County Museum are referenced for related repatriation actions

Description

This notice announces the intended repatriation of certain cultural items by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Arizona State University under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The items include unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony affiliated with Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. The cultural items were removed from archaeological sites in Arizona and are connected to several tribes including the Ak-Chin Indian Community and the Hopi Tribe. Repatriation may occur on or after June 11, 2026, and requests for repatriation must be submitted in writing to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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