Federal Register #2026-12389

Notice of Intended Repatriation of Cultural Items by University of Alabama Museums

This notice concerns the repatriation of cultural items, not a procurement opportunity. - Government buyer: National Park Service, Department of the Interior - Action: University of Alabama Museums intends to repatriate 69 lots of unassociated funerary objects - Items include: ground stone, bone needles, worked stone, bone awls, lithics, complete ceramic vessels, bird points, faunal bone, discoidals, pebble hammers, shells, and ceramics - Purpose: Return of items to Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations with cultural affiliations - Affiliated groups: Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Seminole Tribe of Florida, The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma - No OEMs, vendors, or commercial products/services are involved - This is a legal and cultural process under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), not a contract or procurement action

Description

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Alabama Museums intends to repatriate certain cultural items defined as unassociated funerary objects. These items have cultural affiliations with various Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. The repatriation involves 69 lots of items excavated from the Moundville site, including ground stone, bone needles, ceramics, and other artifacts. Repatriation may occur on or after July 22, 2026, and requests for repatriation can be submitted by lineal descendants or culturally affiliated tribes or organizations.

View original listing