Alabama University Lists Native Remains for Tribal Return
Published Date: 2/11/2026
Notice
Summary
The University of Alabama at Birmingham has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and related items found at an old village site in Alabama. These remains and objects will be returned to the right Native tribes starting March 13, 2026. If you want to request the return, contact the university’s anthropology department soon!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Identified Tribes Eligible for Return
The University of Alabama at Birmingham will return human remains representing at least five individuals and 101 associated funerary objects to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Poarch Band of Creek Indians; Seminole Tribe of Florida; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; and the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town. Repatriation may occur on or after March 13, 2026.
Other Tribes or Descendants Can Request Return
Any of the named tribes or any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not listed may submit a written request for repatriation if they show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. Requests may be submitted to Dr. Lauren Downs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and repatriation may occur on or after March 13, 2026.
How Competing or Joint Requests Are Handled
If competing requests for repatriation are received, the University of Alabama at Birmingham must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation; requests for joint repatriation are considered a single request. This procedure applies to the human remains and 101 associated funerary objects and can be acted on on or after March 13, 2026.
No Record of Hazardous Treatment
The University reports there is no record that potentially hazardous substances were used to treat the ancestors or associated funerary objects described in this notice, which may affect how tribes handle and accept the remains and objects during repatriation.
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The University of Alabama at Birmingham has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and related items found at an old village site in Alabama. These remains and objects are now officially linked to certain Native tribes, and they can be returned to those tribes starting March 13, 2026. If you want to request the return, contact the university’s anthropology department soon!
Next: 2026-02695, Notice of Intended Repatriation: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, MS
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History plans to return 112 Native American cultural items, like tools and beads, to the tribes they belong to. These items were found in different places around Mississippi and will be repatriated starting March 13, 2026. This respectful move helps honor Native American heritage without any cost to the public.