BIA and Museum Finish Inventory of 289 Native Remains and Items
Published Date: 5/12/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Department of the Interior and San Bernardino County Museum have finished checking and identifying Native American human remains and 289 related items from California. These remains are linked to local tribes, and starting June 11, 2026, they can be returned to the rightful Native communities. This process respects Native heritage and helps bring important cultural items back home without any cost to tribes.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Determination of Cultural Affiliation
The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the San Bernardino County Museum identified human remains of at least one Native American and 289 associated funerary objects (groundstone, ceramic, lithic, worked shell, fauna, and bone fragments) from Gossip Rock (site CA-RIV-68) accessioned as SBCM-21 in 1935. They determined these remains and objects are culturally affiliated with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, California.
Repatriation Request Rules and Timeline
The human remains and 289 associated funerary objects may be repatriated on or after June 11, 2026. Written repatriation requests must be sent to Tamara Billie, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Mailbox 44, Albuquerque, NM 87104, email [email protected]; requests may be submitted by the Agua Caliente Band or other listed tribes, a lineal descendant, or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization that shows cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence. If competing requests are received, the BIA will determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
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The Kansas State Historical Society has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and some old burial items found in Kansas. These remains are linked to specific tribes, and starting June 11, 2026, they can be returned to their rightful communities. This process helps honor Native American heritage and follows important laws protecting these sacred items.