Sonoma State Returns 88 Tribal Artifacts
Published Date: 3/17/2025
Notice
Summary
Sonoma State University plans to return 88 cultural items, like stone tools and bones, to Native American tribes connected to the Kelseyville area in California. This repatriation will start on or after April 16, 2025. The items have been kept at the university since the 1970s and 1980s, and this move respects Native American heritage and laws.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
88 artifacts scheduled for repatriation
Sonoma State University plans to return 88 cultural items to affiliated Native American parties. The 88 items include a lot of 61 objects from archaeological site CA-LAK-380 (flaked stone tools and debitage, ground stone tools, unmodified faunal bone, soil samples, unmodified obsidian; accession numbers 74-07, 76-24, 84-01; curated 1974, 1976, 1984) and a lot of 27 objects from CA-LAK-381 (charmstone; flaked stone tools and debitage; faunal bone tools; ground stone tools; modified and unmodified faunal bone; accession numbers 73-23, 74-07, 78-08; curated 1973, 1974, 1978). Repatriation may occur on or after April 16, 2025.
Big Valley Band of Pomo identified as affiliated
Sonoma State University determined there is a reasonable connection between the 88 cultural items and the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, California. That determination is part of the university's NAGPRA finding and informs likely repatriation recipients; repatriation may occur on or after April 16, 2025.
Other tribes or descendants may request repatriation
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the notice may submit a written request for repatriation by showing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, Sonoma State University must determine the most appropriate requestor; joint repatriation requests count as a single request. Repatriation may occur on or after April 16, 2025.
No hazardous substances found in collections
Based on records, there is no evidence that the associated funerary objects were treated with hazardous substances. This determination is reported as part of the collections' information.
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