# 2026-11238: Michigan University Clears Path for Ancestral Returns

2026-11238, Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2026-06-04, effective 2026-07-06; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11238
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-11238
- Title: Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 91 FR 33735
- Published: 2026-06-04
- Effective: 2026-07-06
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

Michigan University Clears Path for Ancestral Returns

## Summary

The University of Michigan has finished checking its collection and found Native American ancestral remains from a historic site in Michigan. These remains can be returned to the affiliated tribes starting July 6, 2026. This means the university is ready to give back these important cultural items, following the law, with no costs or risks involved.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Michigan has completed an inventory of human remains (hereinafter referred to as "Ancestral remains" or "Ancestor") and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the Ancestral remains and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- Repatriation available July 6, 2026: benefit, low. If you are a member of one of the tribes named in this notice, the University of Michigan has identified ancestral human remains of at least one Native American individual and those remains may be returned starting on July 6, 2026. The remains were removed in 1930 from the Flat River site (20KT43)…
- Who can request repatriation: benefit, low. The notice says repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations listed, and non-federally recognized Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians or Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians if they join a request with a listed tribe. It al…
- University resolves competing claims: mixed, low. If more than one group requests the ancestral remains, the University of Michigan must decide which requestor is most appropriate before repatriation. The notice also states that joint requests are treated as a single request.
- No hazardous treatment found: benefit, low. The University of Michigan reports it has no record or knowledge that the ancestral remains were treated with pesticides, preservatives, or other substances that would pose a potential hazard to the collection or to people handling it. This indicates handlers and requestors are not being warned of…

## Related documents

- [2026-04606](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-04606): Alaska; Hunting and Trapping in National Preserves, 2026-03-10
- [2026-20015](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20015): Agency Information Collection Activities; National Park Service Concessions Forms, 2026-09-30
- [2026-19996](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19996): Notice of Intended Repatriation: California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA, 2026-09-30
- [2026-20013](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20013): Agency Information Collection Activities; Archeology Permit Applications and Reports, 2026-09-30
- [2026-19002](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19002): National Park Service Alaska Region Subsistence Resource Commission Program; Notice of Public Meetings, 2026-09-16
- [2026-18306](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18306): Official Trail Marker for Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail, 2026-09-09

## Sources
- [2026-11238 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/04/2026-11238/notice-of-inventory-completion-university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-mi)
- [2026-11238 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-04/pdf/2026-11238.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-11237, Notice of Intended Repatriation: California Department of Forestry and Fire Pro…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11237)
- [Next: 2026-11239, Notice of Inventory Completion: Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, KS](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11239)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11238 (as of 2026-06-11).