UC Davis to Repatriate Thousands of Native Cultural Items
Published Date: 5/28/2026
Notice
Summary
UC Davis has finished checking and listing thousands of Native American items found at their Bodega Marine Lab. Starting June 29, 2026, these items can be returned to the tribes or Native Hawaiian groups they belong to. This is a big step in respecting and honoring Native cultures, with no money involved but lots of history being set right.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Affiliation With Graton Rancheria Confirmed
UC Davis has determined there is a cultural affiliation between the associated funerary objects in this notice and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, California. That determination supports repatriation to that Tribe.
Inventory Size and Missing Items Count
The notice reports a total of 2,463 lots from UC Davis Accession 490 (2,329 lots present and 134 lots missing or discarded) and states 2,484 objects are described overall. The items come from sites within UC Davis's Bodega Marine Reserve in Sonoma County, California.
Repatriation Available June 29, 2026
UC Davis says the associated funerary objects listed in this notice may be returned to requestors on or after June 29, 2026. Written repatriation requests must be sent to the UC Davis NAGPRA Project Manager (address and email provided in the notice).
Who May Request Repatriation
Repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the notice, or by a lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified if they show by a preponderance of the evidence that they have cultural affiliation.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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