Utah Museum Returns 26 Ancestral Remains to Tribes
Published Date: 11/17/2025
Notice
Summary
The Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum has finished checking its collection and found that 26 Native American human remains and some special items belong to local tribes. Starting December 17, 2025, these remains and objects can be returned to the tribes. This is a big step in respecting Native American heritage and making sure these important items go back home.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
26 Native American Remains Identified
The Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum has determined the human remains of at least 26 Native American individuals and three associated funerary objects (two mats and one cloak) are culturally affiliated with the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation. The museum reclassified these remains as culturally identifiable in January 2024.
Repatriation Start Date and Contact
Repatriation of the remains and objects described in this notice may occur on or after December 17, 2025. Written requests for repatriation must be sent to John Foster, Museum Curator, Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum, 496 East Main Street, Vernal, UT 84078, or emailed to the address listed in the notice.
Who May Request Repatriation and Resolution Rules
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by the Ute Indian Tribe identified in this notice, other Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified, or any lineal descendant or tribe/organization that shows by a preponderance of the evidence a cultural affiliation. If competing requests are received, the museum must decide the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are treated as a single request.
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