# 2026-16487: Contaminated? History Colorado Returns Sacred Pipes and Headdresses to Tribes

2026-16487, Notice of Intended Repatriation: History Colorado, Denver, CO, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2026-08-13, effective 2026-09-14 (as of 2026-08-20).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16487
- As of: 2026-08-20
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-16487
- Title: Notice of Intended Repatriation: History Colorado, Denver, CO
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 91 FR 52330
- Published: 2026-08-13
- Effective: 2026-09-14
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-20

## In one line

Contaminated? History Colorado Returns Sacred Pipes and Headdresses to Tribes

## Summary

History Colorado plans to return 15 sacred Native American cultural items, like pipes and headdresses, to the tribes they belong to starting September 14, 2026. These items, collected over 100 years ago, may be contaminated, so handling them carefully is important. This repatriation respects Native American heritage and follows federal law, with no costs mentioned for the public.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), History Colorado intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of sacred objects/ objects of cultural patrimony and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- Repatriation of 15 Sacred Items: benefit, low. History Colorado intends to return 15 sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony that are culturally affiliated with the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The items include a beaded pouch, a buckskin shirt, an eagle bone whistle, a headdress, pipes, tomahawks, and other ceremonial objects. Repatriation may occ…
- Who Can Request Repatriation: benefit, low. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may submit a written request for repatriation by showing, by a preponderance of the evidence, their relationship. If competing requests are received, History Colorado must decide the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are…
- Potential Contamination of Objects: cost, low. Several objects in the Olop Collection have tested positive for contamination and heavy metals, and other items stored with them should be considered potentially contaminated. Handlers and requestors should treat those cultural items as potentially contaminated due to their shared storage history.

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## Sources
- [2026-16487 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/13/2026-16487/notice-of-intended-repatriation-history-colorado-denver-co)
- [2026-16487 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-13/pdf/2026-16487.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-16486, Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16486)
- [Next: 2026-16488, Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16488)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16487 (as of 2026-08-20).