College Returns 426 Artifacts to Native Groups
Published Date: 7/8/2026
Notice
Summary
Antelope Valley College is planning to return 426 important cultural items to Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian groups starting August 7, 2026. These items include bones, shells, and stone tools from historic sites in California. This repatriation honors cultural heritage and follows legal rules to give these objects back to their rightful communities.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
426 Cultural Items Returned to Tribes
Antelope Valley College intends to return 426 cultural items — 383 objects of cultural patrimony from Burnt Peak (CA-LAN-484/AVC-2) and 43 unassociated funerary objects from Green Valley Cemetery (CA-LAN-487/AVC-6). The college identifies a cultural affiliation with the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and certain non-federally recognized California Tribes; repatriation may occur on or after August 7, 2026.
How Tribes or Descendants Can Request Items
Lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations may submit written requests for repatriation to Antelope Valley College at the contact listed (Dr. Darcy L. Wiewall, Antelope Valley College, Department of Anthropology). Requests may be submitted by any eligible requestor who shows by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated group.
Competing Requests and Joint Repatriation Rules
If competing repatriation requests are received, Antelope Valley College must decide the most appropriate requestor before repatriation; joint requests are treated as a single request. Repatriation to any approved requestor may occur on or after August 7, 2026.
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