Caltrans to Return Highway-Dug Artifacts to Tribes
Published Date: 7/22/2026
Notice
Summary
Caltrans in San Bernardino is planning to return 15 groups of important Native American cultural items to the tribes they belong to, starting August 21, 2026. These items were found during highway projects in 1976 and 2012 and include stones, bones, and pottery. This respectful move honors Native heritage and follows federal law, with no costs or delays expected for the public.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation of 15 cultural lots
Caltrans intends to return 15 lots of cultural patrimony to a Native American group with a cultural affiliation to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. The items were recovered during 1976 and 2012 excavations at sites CA-SBR-1650 and CA-SBR-15103/H and are held in the San Bernardino County Museum under accessions SBCM-44 (44a and 44b) and SBCM-6284; repatriation may occur on or after August 21, 2026.
Open process for other claimants
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not named in the notice may submit a written request for repatriation and must show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, Caltrans will determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are treated as a single request, and repatriation may occur on or after August 21, 2026.
Some items currently missing
The notice states that some objects included in this repatriation notice are currently missing from both collections and that the San Bernardino County Museum and Caltrans continue to look for them. The missing status may affect which specific items are recovered and repatriated.
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