Highway 101 Hides 6,500 Ancient Native American Treasures—Time to Return Them!
Published Date: 12/17/2025
Notice
Summary
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) finished checking 6,500 ancient items found near Marin County highways and confirmed they belong to local Native American tribes. Starting January 16, 2026, these items can be officially returned to the tribes. This process helps honor Native cultures and follows important laws protecting their heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
6,500 Ancient Items Identified
Caltrans completed an inventory and identified 6,500 associated funerary objects from sites along Highway 101 in Marin County. The collections include lithics, faunal remains, shell, beads, and ground stone artifacts, with 36 catalog numbers missing.
Repatriation Allowed Starting January 16, 2026
The notice says the 6,500 associated funerary objects may be repatriated on or after January 16, 2026. Requests for repatriation must be sent to Caltrans at the Oakland District 4 office as specified in the notice.
Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Identified
Caltrans determined there is a cultural affiliation between the associated funerary objects and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. That connection is part of the basis for repatriation decisions referenced in the notice.
Who May Request Repatriation and How
Repatriation requests may be submitted by any of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations named in the notice, or by a lineal descendant or tribe not named who shows by a preponderance of the evidence a cultural affiliation. If competing requests are received, Caltrans must decide the most appropriate requestor; joint requests count as a single request.
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