Sonoma State to Return Hundreds of Native Funerary Items
Published Date: 12/18/2025
Notice
Summary
Sonoma State University has finished checking and listing 773 groups of Native American funerary items found in Sonoma County, California. These items, connected to local tribes like the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo, can be returned starting January 20, 2026. This means important cultural objects will soon go back to their rightful communities, honoring their history and traditions.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
773 funerary items available for return
Sonoma State University completed an inventory of 773 associated funerary objects from sites in Sonoma County and determined a cultural affiliation with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. These objects have been cleared for repatriation and may be returned on or after January 20, 2026.
Who may request repatriation
Repatriation requests may be submitted to Sonoma State University by any of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice, or by a lineal descendant or other tribe/organization that shows cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence. If competing requests are received, Sonoma State University must determine the most appropriate requestor, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
Missing lots to be located and repatriated
Seven lots of associated funerary items were not physically located during the inventory; Sonoma State University will continue searching for these items and will repatriate them when they are located. The notice also states that any items found later from the discussed collections will be repatriated.
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