Several institutions plan repatriation of Native American cultural items under NAGPRA

The University of California, Berkeley, announced its intention to repatriate certain unassociated funerary objects with known lineal descendants, according to a notice in the Federal Register.

Similarly, the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History plans to repatriate objects of cultural patrimony linked to culturally affiliated Native American groups, as stated in the Federal Register.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation also intends to return sacred objects that have known lineal descendants, following the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Other institutions including the Gregg Museum of Art & Design in Raleigh, Sonoma State University, and the Longyear Museum of Anthropology at Colgate University have issued notices of intended repatriation for various cultural items such as objects of cultural patrimony, sacred objects, and unassociated funerary objects affiliated with Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations.

These notices are part of compliance with NAGPRA, which mandates the return of certain Native American cultural items to their rightful descendants or affiliated tribes.

The Federal Register entries emphasize that these notices are part of a prototype electronic publication and advise verification against official versions for legal research.