# 2026-12387: Interior Department and Museum to Return Ancient Cahuilla Pot

2026-12387, Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2026-06-22, effective 2026-07-22 (as of 2026-06-29).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12387
- As of: 2026-06-29
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-12387
- Title: Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 91 FR 37136
- Published: 2026-06-22
- Effective: 2026-07-22
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-29

## In one line

Interior Department and Museum to Return Ancient Cahuilla Pot

## Summary

The U.S. Department of the Interior and the American Museum of Natural History plan to return a special ancient pottery piece to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. This small ceramic olla was taken from their land near Palm Springs long ago and will be repatriated starting July 22, 2026. This respectful return honors Native American heritage and corrects past museum mistakes without any cost to the tribes.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an unassociated funerary object and that has a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- One Pottery Piece Returned to Tribe: benefit, low. The Department of the Interior and the American Museum of Natural History plan to return one small-mouthed ceramic olla to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The object was removed from Andreas Canyon near Palm Springs, was purchased on October 22, 1917, and the repatriation may occur on o…
- Who Can Request Repatriation: benefit, low. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the 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. If competing requests are received, the Bureau…
- Handling Safety Advisory for Item: benefit, low. The notice states the American Museum of Natural History applied potentially hazardous pesticides to some collection items in the past and museum records do not list specific treatments for each object. It advises that those handling this olla should follow the advice of industrial hygienists or me…

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## Sources
- [2026-12387 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/22/2026-12387/notice-of-intended-repatriation-us-department-of-the-interior-bureau-of-indian-affairs-washington-dc)
- [2026-12387 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-22/pdf/2026-12387.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-12386, Notice of Intended Repatriation: Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12386)
- [Next: 2026-12388, Notice of Inventory Completion: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12388)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12387 (as of 2026-06-29).