Navy's Point Mugu Base to Return Native American Ancestors' Remains
Published Date: 3/17/2025
Notice
Summary
The Navy at Naval Base Ventura County plans to return the remains and cultural items of at least two Native American individuals to their rightful tribes or descendants. This process starts April 16, 2025, and if no one claims them by March 17, 2026, the items will be considered unclaimed. This affects Native American communities connected to these artifacts and honors their heritage with respect and care.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation of Native American remains and items
The Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) intends to return the cremains of at least two Native American individuals and related cultural items (including associated and unassociated funerary objects and sacred objects) excavated from San Nicolas Island. The collection includes artifacts from 99 sites excavated between 1992 and 2014 and comprises 1,181 boxes of material.
Specific tribes listed with priority
The NBVC identified the following groups as having priority for disposition: La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians; Pala Band of Mission Indians; Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation; Pechanga Band of Indians; Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of Rincon Reservation; Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation; and the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians. These named tribes have priority for claiming the items described in this notice.
Claim deadline and unclaimed status
Disposition may occur on or after April 16, 2025. If no written claim for disposition is received by March 17, 2026, the human remains and cultural items described will be declared unclaimed. Claimants must submit written claims by that March 17, 2026 deadline to avoid items being designated unclaimed.
Who may file claims and competing-claim rules
Written claims may be submitted by any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization identified in the notice, or by any such party not identified who can show by a preponderance of the evidence that they have priority. If competing claims are received, NBVC must determine the most appropriate claimant; requests for joint disposition are treated as a single (non-competing) request.
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