Harvard Returns Teen's Hair Clippings from Old California Boarding School to Tribes
Published Date: 3/18/2025
Notice
Summary
Harvard’s Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found hair clippings from a Native American teen linked to the Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians and Round Valley Indian Tribes. These remains, collected long ago at the Sherman Institute in California, are ready to be returned starting April 17, 2025. This means the museum is taking important steps to respect Native communities and their heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Museum identifies tribal affiliation
The Peabody Museum determined that hair clippings from one individual (recorded as age 15 and identified as “Concow”), collected at the Sherman Institute between 1930 and 1933 and donated to the museum in 1935, are Native American. The museum says these remains are culturally affiliated with the Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians and the Round Valley Indian Tribes, Round Valley Reservation, California.
Who may request repatriation and timing
Written repatriation requests may be submitted by the Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians, the Round Valley Indian Tribes, or by any lineal descendant or other tribe/organization that shows by a preponderance of the evidence they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. Repatriation may occur on or after April 17, 2025; if competing requests are received, the museum must determine the most appropriate requestor, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-04606, Alaska; Hunting and Trapping in National Preserves
The National Park Service wants to update hunting and trapping rules in Alaska’s national preserves to bring back long-standing practices that support state-authorized wildlife harvests and public access. These changes affect hunters, trappers, and anyone using Alaska park lands, aiming to balance conservation with local traditions. You’ve got until April 9, 2026, to share your thoughts—no new fees or costs are expected.
2026-20013, Agency Information Collection Activities; Archeology Permit Applications and Reports
The National Park Service wants to keep collecting info for archeology permits and reports, making sure the process stays smooth and clear. This affects archeologists and anyone applying for permits to dig or study artifacts in parks. They’re asking for comments by October 30, 2026, but no changes to fees or big costs are planned.
2026-20015, Agency Information Collection Activities; National Park Service Concessions Forms
The National Park Service is asking to keep using their current forms for park concessions, like shops and services, without changes. This affects businesses working with the parks and helps reduce paperwork hassle. You’ve got until October 30, 2026, to share your thoughts—no fees or new costs involved!
2026-19996, Notice of Intended Repatriation: California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA
California State University, Sacramento plans to return over 8,500 cultural items to Native American tribes connected to northern Tehama County. These items include stones, bones, pigments, and historic materials, and the repatriation can start on or after October 30, 2026. This move respects Native heritage and involves no cost to the public but honors important cultural ties.
2026-19002, National Park Service Alaska Region Subsistence Resource Commission Program; Notice of Public Meetings
The National Park Service is holding meetings for Alaska's Subsistence Resource Commissions to discuss local hunting, fishing, and gathering rules. These meetings affect residents who rely on park resources and will happen mostly in October and November 2026, with one in February 2027. No big costs are expected, but these talks help keep subsistence traditions alive and fair.
2026-18306, Official Trail Marker for Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail
This notice issues the official trail marker insignia for the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail in the National Trails System. The original graphic image for Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail was developed in 2026 with the completion of the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail Comprehensive Plan. The National Park Service and related agencies have officially adopted and use this insignia to help mark all designated alignments of the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-04377, Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM
The U.S. Forest Service in Gila National Forest, New Mexico, plans to return human remains and some funerary stones found on federal lands to Native American tribes or descendants starting April 17, 2025. If no one claims them by March 18, 2026, these remains will be considered unclaimed. This affects tribes and families connected to these remains and ensures respectful handling of these important cultural items.
Next: 2025-04379, Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Harvard's Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found two Native American hair samples from the Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota. These remains are linked to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and will be returned to them starting April 17, 2025. This means the museum is doing its part to respect Native American heritage and return important cultural items.