UCLA Museum Returns Ancient Native American Treasures to Tribes
Published Date: 2/23/2026
Notice
Summary
The Fowler Museum at UCLA has finished checking a collection of old Native American items found near Buena Vista Lake, California. These items belong to the Tejon Indian Tribe and the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe. Starting March 25, 2026, the museum can return these cultural treasures to the tribes, honoring their history and heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Museum may return 47 cultural items
The Fowler Museum at UCLA has determined 47 lots of associated funerary objects (46 lots of stone, shell, and bead artifacts plus 1 lot of faunal bone) are affiliated with the Tejon Indian Tribe and the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria. These items may be repatriated to the tribes on or after March 25, 2026.
Who can request repatriation and evidence standard
Repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes named in this notice, or by any lineal descendant or other Indian Tribe or organization that shows cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence. The museum will consider competing requests and may determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests count as a single request.
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