Harvard Ships Pomo Tribe's Ancestral Hair Clippings Home After 100+ Years
Published Date: 3/19/2025
Notice
Summary
Harvard’s Peabody Museum has finished checking its collection and found hair clippings from a Native American individual linked to the Pomo tribes. These remains, collected long ago at the Sherman Institute in California, are set to be returned to the Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians and related groups starting April 18, 2025. This means the museum is doing its part to respect Native heritage and make things right.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Peabody to Return Pomo Hair Clippings
Harvard’s Peabody Museum determined that hair clippings from one Native American individual identified as “Pomo,” collected at the Sherman Institute between 1930 and 1933 and donated to the museum in 1935, are culturally affiliated with the Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians and related Pomo groups. The museum may repatriate these human remains on or after April 18, 2025.
Who Can Request Repatriation and How
Written requests for repatriation must be sent to the Responsible Official named in the notice (Jane Pickering, Peabody Museum). Eligible requestors include any one or more of the Indian Tribes named in the notice or a lineal descendant/tribe not named who proves cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence. If competing requests are received, the Peabody Museum must decide the most appropriate requestor; 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: 2025-04637, Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA
The University of Pennsylvania Museum has finished checking its collection and found human remains linked to Native American tribes, especially the Penobscot. These remains, an adolescent’s skull found before 1840, can be returned to the tribes starting April 18, 2025. This means the museum is doing its part to respect Native heritage and follow important laws.
Next: 2025-04639, 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 Native American human remains linked to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. Starting April 17, 2025, these remains can be returned to the tribe if they ask for them. This is a respectful step to honor Native American heritage and follow the law.