Baton Rouge Archaeology Preps Tribal Return of Ancient Finds
Published Date: 7/31/2026
Notice
Summary
The Louisiana Division of Archaeology has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and burial items from several sites. These remains and objects are linked to specific tribes, and they can be returned to those tribes starting August 31, 2026. If you want to request the return, you need to contact the Louisiana Division of Archaeology by then.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Repatriation Available After Aug 31, 2026
The Louisiana Division of Archaeology says the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice may be returned starting on or after August 31, 2026. If you represent an affiliated tribe or are a descendant, you can submit a written repatriation request to LDOA by then.
Seven Tribes Identified as Affiliates
The notice identifies a cultural affiliation between the remains/objects and these groups: Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Quapaw Nation; The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; and the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe. Those tribes are named as potential requestors for repatriation.
Who Can Request Repatriation and How
Written repatriation requests must be sent to Karla Oesch, Collections Manager, Louisiana Division of Archaeology (P.O. Box 44247, Baton Rouge, LA 70804 or email [email protected]). Requests may be made by any one or more of the tribes named in this notice or by a lineal descendant or tribe/organization that proves affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence.
Competing and Joint Repatriation Rules
If more than one eligible party requests repatriation, the Louisiana Division of Archaeology must decide which requestor is most appropriate before returning remains. If parties submit a joint request, that joint submission is treated as a single request and not competing.
Inventory: Four Individuals, Two Object Lots
The inventory identifies human remains representing at least four Native American individuals from three provenances: site 16MO103 (Book Shepard, Morehouse Parish, LA), site 16WC13/16WC14 (Hill Bayou/Hilton Mound, West Carroll Parish, LA), and an unspecified northeast Louisiana location collected by Guy J. Ragusa. There are at least two lots of associated funerary objects (ceramics, lithics, animal bone, shell) documented with the remains.
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-15519, Notice of Inventory Completion: Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, Division of Archaeology, Baton Rouge, LA
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Louisiana Division of Archaeology (LDOA) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Next: 2026-15521, Notice of Inventory Completion: Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism, Division of Archaeology, Baton Rouge, LA
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Louisiana Division of Archaeology (LDOA) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.