UC Riverside Repatriates Dirt, Charcoal, and Pottery to Tribes
Published Date: 4/4/2025
Notice
Summary
The University of California, Riverside plans to return eight cultural items—like charcoal, soil, and ceramics—to Native American tribes starting May 5, 2025. These items, linked to ancient village sites, were studied decades ago and now will be respectfully sent back. This repatriation honors Native heritage and shows the university’s commitment to doing the right thing.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
University will return eight cultural items
The University of California, Riverside intends to repatriate eight objects of cultural patrimony (six lots of charcoal, one lot of soil samples, and one lot of ceramics). The repatriation may occur on or after May 5, 2025.
Specific tribes identified as affiliated
The University determined there is a reasonable connection between the items and the following groups: Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Indian Reservation; Capitan Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California (Barona Group and Viejas Group); Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians; Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel; Inaja Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Inaja and Cosmit Reservation; Jamul Indian Village of California; La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Indian Reservation; Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita Reservation; Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation; San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California; and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
Other tribes or descendants may request items
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not listed may submit a written request for repatriation and must show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. Repatriation to a requestor may occur on or after May 5, 2025; competing requests require the University to determine the most appropriate requestor, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
Items linked to dated archaeological sites
The items are associated with archaeological sites and dates: three charcoal samples from CA-SDI-5344 dated to about A.D. 1100; three charcoal samples and one soil sample from CA-SDI-5669 described as a village site; one charcoal sample from CA-SDI-12809 dated to about 320 ± 50 years before present; and ceramic sherds labeled 'San Diego co.' believed related to work by Professor Philip Wilke.
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