Mississippi Returns Stone Tools to Choctaw Nations After Centuries
Published Date: 8/24/2026
Notice
Summary
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History plans to return special cultural items called unassociated funerary objects to the Choctaw tribes starting September 23, 2026. These items, mainly stone tools, were found at important Native sites and belong to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and Jena Band of Choctaw Indians. This respectful repatriation honors Native heritage and involves no costs or hazards.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Choctaw Repatriation Scheduled
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History intends to return two lots of unassociated funerary objects (lithics) to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians. The items come from sites 22WI500 (Nanih Waiya) and 22NE632 (Nanih Waiya Cave). Repatriation may occur on or after September 23, 2026, and the notice states no known hazardous substances were used on the objects.
Who Can Request Repatriation
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not named in the notice may submit a written request for repatriation to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Requests must show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the requester is a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated, and should be sent to Cindy-Carter Davis, Chief Archaeologist, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Historic Preservation Division, 100 South State Street, P.O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205 or the listed email. Repatriation to an approved requestor may occur on or after September 23, 2026; if competing requests are received, MDAH will determine the most appropriate requestor and joint requests count as a single request.
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In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of North Dakota intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
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