Federal Register #2026-19468

Notice of Intended Repatriation of Native American Cultural Items by Michigan State University

This notice concerns the intended repatriation of Native American cultural items by Michigan State University, in partnership with the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. - Government Buyer: - Michigan State University - Department of the Interior - National Park Service - Items to be repatriated: - 1 unassociated funerary object (copper pike) - 36 sacred objects or objects of cultural patrimony, including: - Bone pipe - Copper axe - Copper adze - Stone pipe - Stone hammer - Stone scrapers (2) - Sandstone - Lots of lithics (multiple items from Ontonagon County) - Objects from Deer Lake (22 items), Baby Lake, and other Michigan counties - Quartzite pipe - Cultural affiliation: - Keweenaw Bay Indian Community - Notable requirements: - Items originate from collections acquired through donations, professional archaeological surveys, and avocational archaeologists - No hazardous substances known to have been used on these objects - Process outlined for lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations to request repatriation - Criteria for determining the most appropriate requestor in the event of competing claims - No commercial OEMs or vendors involved; items are cultural artifacts, not manufactured products.

Description

Michigan State University intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and/or objects of cultural patrimony. These items have a cultural affiliation with Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. The repatriation may occur on or after October 23, 2026. The items include one unassociated funerary object (a copper pike) and 36 sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony from various counties in Michigan, with connections to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

View original listing