# 2025-19959: San Diego Museum Hands Back 16 Ancient Native American Burial Items

2025-19959, Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Us, San Diego, CA, 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/2025-19959
- As of: 2026-06-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-19959
- Title: Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Us, San Diego, CA
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 90 FR 51394
- 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

San Diego Museum Hands Back 16 Ancient Native American Burial Items

## Summary

The Museum of Us in San Diego has finished checking 16 ancient burial items linked to Native American tribes. Starting December 17, 2025, these items can be officially returned to the tribes. This move respects Native heritage and follows important laws protecting sacred objects.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Museum of Us has completed an inventory of associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- 16 Burial Objects Eligible for Return: benefit, medium. The Museum of Us completed an inventory of 16 associated funerary objects from two archaeological sites (Nicholas Mound and Lincoln Mound). Those 16 objects may be repatriated to eligible requestors on or after December 17, 2025.
- Museum Finds Cultural Affiliation: benefit, medium. The Museum of Us determined there is a cultural affiliation between the objects and the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria of California. That determination supports repatriation actions tied to that community.
- Who Can Request Repatriation: benefit, low. Requests for repatriation may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice, or by a lineal descendant or tribe/organization not identified who shows by a preponderance of the evidence that they are affiliated. Repatriation may occur…
- Competing and Joint Repatriation Rules: benefit, low. If competing repatriation requests are received, the Museum of Us must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation. Requests made jointly are treated as a single request and not competing requests.

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## Sources
- [2025-19959 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/17/2025-19959/notice-of-inventory-completion-museum-of-us-san-diego-ca)
- [2025-19959 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-17/pdf/2025-19959.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-19958, Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indi…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-19958)
- [Next: 2025-19960, Notice of Inventory Completion: Bixby Memorial Free Library, Vergennes, VT](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-19960)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-19959 (as of 2026-06-08).