Smoky Mountains to Ditch 164 Native Items If No Tribe Claims Them
Published Date: 8/24/2026
Notice
Summary
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park plans to return 164 Native American funerary items found in 2014 to the rightful tribes or descendants starting September 23, 2026. If no one claims them by August 24, 2027, the items will be considered unclaimed. This action respects Native American traditions and follows important federal laws protecting cultural heritage.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
164 Funerary Items Returned to Cherokee Groups
The National Park Service intends to return 164 unassociated funerary objects (including 148 lithic flakes, pottery sherds, a large chert blade, and other items) found in Sevier County, TN to lineal descendants or affiliated Native groups. The Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma are identified as having priority for disposition.
Claim Deadline and How to Request Items
You must send written claims for these cultural items to Charles Sellars, Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37728 or the listed email. Disposition may occur on or after September 23, 2026, and if no claim is received by August 24, 2027 the items will be designated unclaimed cultural items.
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