Tennessee Returns One Ancient Funerary Item to Tribes
Published Date: 12/22/2025
Notice
Summary
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation plans to return a special sandstone pipe from Hawkins County to Native American tribes starting January 21, 2026. This item is connected to Native American burial traditions and was carefully identified to honor cultural respect. No money changes hands, but this is a big step in respecting Native heritage and history.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Sandstone Pipe Repatriation to Cherokee and Creek
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation plans to repatriate one sandstone pipe from Hawkins County, TN that is identified as an unassociated funerary object. The item has a cultural affiliation with the Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, and repatriation may occur on or after January 21, 2026. No money will change hands.
Who May Request the Item and How Disputes Are Resolved
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not named in this notice may submit a written request for repatriation by showing by a preponderance of the evidence that they are culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation; requests for joint repatriation are treated as a single request.
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