# 2026-11247: BLM Plans Return of Navajo Dam Cultural Items

2026-11247, Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, Santa Fe, NM, and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Basin Region, Salt Lake City, UT, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2026-06-04, effective 2026-07-06 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11247
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-11247
- Title: Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, Santa Fe, NM, and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Basin Region, Salt Lake City, UT
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 91 FR 33744
- Published: 2026-06-04
- Effective: 2026-07-06
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

BLM Plans Return of Navajo Dam Cultural Items

## Summary

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico and the Bureau of Reclamation in Utah plan to return certain Native American cultural items starting July 6, 2026. These items, linked to Native tribes and organizations, were found during archaeological work related to the Navajo Dam project. This repatriation respects Native heritage and follows important legal rules, with no direct cost impact to the public.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, (BLM), and U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Basin Region (Reclamation) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- Return of 11 Native funerary objects: benefit, low. The Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation intend to repatriate 11 unassociated funerary objects starting on or after July 6, 2026. The items are three lots of coprolites, seven lots of botanical remains, and one lot of ceramics removed from sites in Rio Arriba and San Juan Countie…
- Who may request repatriation: benefit, low. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization (including those not listed in the notice) may send a written request for repatriation and must show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, BLM and Reclamation w…
- No direct public cost impact: benefit, low. The notice states that the repatriation follows the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and will occur without direct cost impact to the public. The repatriation actions described may begin on or after July 6, 2026.

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## Sources
- [2026-11247 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/04/2026-11247/notice-of-intended-repatriation-us-department-of-the-interior-bureau-of-land-management-new-mexico)
- [2026-11247 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-04/pdf/2026-11247.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-11246, Notice of Inventory Completion: Indiana University, Bloomington, IN](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11246)
- [Next: 2026-11248, Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11248)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11247 (as of 2026-06-11).