Federal Register #2026-13334

Notice of Intended Repatriation of Native American Cultural Items by UNC Chapel Hill and Los Rios Community College District

This notice concerns the intended repatriation of Native American cultural items by two educational institutions, as coordinated by the National Park Service under the Department of the Interior. - Government Buyer: - Department of the Interior, National Park Service - Institutions Involved: - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Los Rios Community College District - Cultural Items for Repatriation: - 136 unassociated funerary objects from UNC Chapel Hill, affiliated with the Quapaw Nation - Includes: 1 hammerstone, 1 worked chip, 1 grinding stone, 104 potsherds, 1 historic whiteware fragment, 7 chipped stones, 2 bivalve shells, 18 faunal bones, 1 bag of charcoal - 15 sacred objects from Los Rios Community College District, affiliated with Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations - Includes: 2 Koi (Adze), 1 Pohaku Luhee (Octopus Lure Sinker), 1 Umeke Poi (Poi Bowl), 4 Ulumaika (Disc Bowling stone), 5 Kapa (Bark Cloth), 2 Ie Kuku (Kapa Beater) - Notable Requirements: - Repatriation is conducted in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) - Cultural affiliation established through consultation and evidence - Opportunity for additional written requests for repatriation from lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations - No OEMs, vendors, or commercial products/services are involved in this notice

Description

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. A total of 136 cultural items including hammerstone, potsherds, and faunal bones are involved. The repatriation may occur on or after August 3, 2026. The determination of cultural affiliation was based on consultation with the Quapaw Nation and other evidence.

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