# 2025-19956: Tennessee Agency Returns Ancient Pottery and Necklace to Native Tribes

2025-19956, Notice of Intended Repatriation: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2025-11-17, effective 2025-12-17 (as of 2026-06-08).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-19956
- As of: 2026-06-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-19956
- Title: Notice of Intended Repatriation: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 90 FR 51401
- Published: 2025-11-17
- Effective: 2025-12-17
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-08

## In one line

Tennessee Agency Returns Ancient Pottery and Necklace to Native Tribes

## Summary

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation plans to return 13 Native American cultural items found in Davidson County to the affiliated tribes starting December 17, 2025. These items include pottery shards, a limestone necklace, and an ear plug, all carefully handled and free from hazards. This repatriation honors Native American heritage and follows federal law, with no costs or delays expected.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA) intends to repatriate certain cultural items from Davidson County, Tennessee that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- Return of 13 Native American Items: benefit, low. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC-DOA) intends to return 13 unassociated funerary objects from Davidson County, Tennessee — including ceramic sherds, a banded limestone gorget, a calcite ear plug, lithic artifacts, copper beads, a ceramic frog effigy, a ceramic bowl, an…
- Who May Request Repatriation: benefit, low. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the notice may submit a written request for repatriation to TDEC-DOA if they show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or are culturally affiliated. Requests must be sent to Philli…

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## Sources
- [2025-19956 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/17/2025-19956/notice-of-intended-repatriation-tennessee-department-of-environment-and-conservation-division-of)
- [2025-19956 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-17/pdf/2025-19956.pdf)

## Related
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-19956 (as of 2026-06-08).