Cal State Long Beach Identifies Remains for Tribal Return in Kern County
Published Date: 12/17/2025
Notice
Summary
California State University, Long Beach has finished checking and identifying Native American human remains and a bobcat skull found in Kern County. These items are linked to local Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian groups and can be returned starting January 16, 2026. This process helps honor Native communities by giving back their ancestors respectfully, with no money involved but important cultural care in action.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation available January 16, 2026
If you are a member of an Indian Tribe, a Native Hawaiian organization, or a lineal descendant, the human remains of three individuals and one bobcat skull held by California State University, Long Beach can be returned starting on January 16, 2026. The remains were recovered from Bakersfield in Kern County and were transferred to CSULB on October 29, 2019.
Tejon Tribe Identified as Affiliated
California State University, Long Beach determined there is a connection between the human remains and associated funerary object and the Tejon Indian Tribe. That identification means the Tejon Indian Tribe is named in this notice as culturally affiliated with the remains.
Who May Request Repatriation
Written repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice, by any lineal descendant, or by a tribe/organization not named if it shows by a preponderance of the evidence that it is culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, California State University, Long Beach must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation; joint requests are treated as a single request.
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