Federal Register #2026-14172

Notice of Intended Repatriation of Native American Cultural Items by Multiple Museums

This notice concerns the intended repatriation of Native American cultural items by several museums in coordination with the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. - Government Buyer: - Department of the Interior - Sub-agency: National Park Service - Participating museums: Franklin Pierce University, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum - Products/Items for Repatriation: - Pottery pipe fragment (1 item) from Franklin Pierce University - Culturally affiliated with the Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin - Sacred pipe bowl (AN 2001146.11A) and pipe stem (AN 2001146.1B) (1 each) from Denver Museum of Nature & Science - Originally belonging to Anderson White Eagle, Medicine Man of the Northern Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming - Identified as sacred objects required for traditional Native American religious practices - Approximately 687 unassociated funerary objects from Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum - Includes kapa samples, canoe fragments, pandanus mat fragments, wooden fire sticks, bundles, lauhala, cordage and fiber supports, wood fragments, netting samples, and a beaded necklace with dog tooth - Culturally affiliated with multiple Native Hawaiian organizations, including the Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society - Unique/Notable Requirements: - All items are being repatriated under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) - No procurement of goods or services is involved; this is an informational notice regarding the return of culturally significant items - Repatriation may occur on or after the specified date - No OEMs, vendors, or commercial products are involved in this notice

Description

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of sacred objects and have a cultural affiliation with Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. The items include a pipe bowl and pipe stem originally belonging to Anderson White Eagle, a Medicine Man of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Repatriation may occur on or after August 14, 2026.

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