2026-03566Notice

Brown University Museum Repatriates Hawaiian God Stick and Artifacts

Published Date: 2/23/2026

Notice

Summary

Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum plans to return four sacred Native Hawaiian items, including a tapa cloth, fishhook, stone adze, and a plaster god stick cast, starting March 25, 2026. These culturally important objects will be sent back to the Native Hawaiian community, honoring their heritage and traditions. No costs or hazards are involved, just a respectful handoff of history.

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Four Sacred Hawaiian Items Returned

Brown University's Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology intends to return four sacred Native Hawaiian items — one tapa (kapa) textile (83-141a-b), one fishhook (61-472), one stone adze (68-10003), and one plaster cast of a god stick (60-4607) — to the Native Hawaiian community. The repatriation may occur on or after March 25, 2026, and the museum states there is a connection between these items and the Hui Iwi Kuamo[revaps].

Who Can Request Repatriation

Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may submit a written request for repatriation to Kellie Bowers, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, 300 Tower Street, Bristol, RI 02809, or by email at [email protected]. If competing requests are received, the museum will determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are treated as a single request.

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this regulation affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this federal register document and every other regulation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Key Dates

Published Date
Effective Date
2/23/2026
3/25/2026

Department and Agencies

Department
Independent Agency
Agency
Interior Department
National Park Service
Source: View HTML
Back to Federal Register

Take It Personal

Get Your Personalized Policy View

Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.

Already have an account? Sign in