California Agency to Repatriate 63 Cultural Items
Published Date: 6/4/2026
Notice
Summary
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection plans to return 63 sacred cultural items to Native American tribes connected to nine sites in Northern California. These items, collected during surveys in the 1980s and 1990s, include tools like scrapers and pestles. The repatriation can start on or after July 6, 2026, with no costs to tribes, making this a respectful step toward honoring Native heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Return of 63 Sacred Cultural Items
If you are a lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization connected to the sites listed, 63 sacred cultural items (including biface fragments, projectile points, debitage, scrapers, pestles, groundstone, and metates) are intended to be returned. The repatriation may occur on or after July 6, 2026, and the notice states this repatriation is to occur with no costs to tribes.
Who Can Request Repatriation
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization (including those not named in this notice) 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 must be sent to the authorized representative listed in the notice and repatriation may occur on or after July 6, 2026.
Affiliation and Competing-Request Rules
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has determined these 63 items are sacred objects and identifies a cultural connection to the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, California. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the Department must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation; joint requests are treated as a single request.
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Key Dates
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