Forest Service to Return Sacred Pottery or Abandon It
Published Date: 3/19/2025
Notice
Summary
The Coronado National Forest in Arizona plans to return 47 ancient pottery pieces and other cultural items from a sacred site to Native American tribes or descendants starting April 18, 2025. If no one claims them by March 19, 2026, these items will be considered unclaimed. This affects tribes connected to the Hawk Peak Shrine, a special place in the Pinaleño Mountains, and ensures respect for their cultural heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Four tribes have priority to reclaim items
If you are a lineal descendant or a member of the Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; or the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona, your group has priority for disposition of the human remains and cultural items described in this notice.
Claim deadline and unclaimed-item rule
If you want to claim these items, you must submit a written claim by March 19, 2026. Disposition may occur on or after April 18, 2025; if no claim is received by March 19, 2026, the human remains and cultural items will be considered unclaimed.
Specified remains and artifact quantities identified
The notice identifies four Native American individuals' human remains, 4,707 unassociated funerary objects (including 4,232 ceramics and 457 pieces of flaked stone), and 483 objects of cultural patrimony (including 47 ceramic sherds from the Hawk Peak Shrine). These specific items are subject to disposition under this notice.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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