Federal Register #2026-14722

Notice of Intended Repatriation of Cherokee Cultural Items by University of Tennessee and McClung Museum

This notice concerns the intended repatriation of cultural items by the University of Tennessee and the Frank H. McClung Museum: - Government Buyer: - National Park Service, Department of the Interior - University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology - Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture (UTK), Knoxville, Tennessee - Products/Items Involved: - 18 lots of unassociated funerary objects - Includes historic artifacts, textiles, and botanical samples - Originally removed from site 40PK1, Ocoee, Polk County, Tennessee - Items are affiliated with Historic Cherokee burials - Notable Requirements: - Repatriation is in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) - Items are culturally affiliated with the Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma - Eligible tribes or lineal descendants may submit repatriation requests - Competing or joint requests are possible - No OEMs or commercial vendors are involved, as this is a legal and administrative process, not a procurement of goods or services.

Description

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology and the Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture (UTK), 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. The items include 18 lots of unassociated funerary objects such as historic items, textiles, and botanical samples removed during a 1938 Works Progress Administration project in Polk County, Tennessee. These items are connected to the Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. Repatriation may occur on or after August 21, 2026.

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