NY Parks Returns 187 Sacred Native Items from Burial Grounds
Published Date: 8/24/2026
Notice
Summary
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation plans to return 187 Native American cultural items, including sacred objects and funerary items, to the affiliated tribes starting September 23, 2026. These items, like wampum, tools, and pottery, were found near Bear Mountain State Park and come from ancestral burial sites. This repatriation respects Native heritage and involves no cost to the public.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
187 Native American Items Returned
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation intends to return 187 Native American cultural items — 50 unassociated funerary objects and 137 sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony — to affiliated groups. The notice names a cultural affiliation with the Delaware Nation (Oklahoma), Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the Stockbridge Munsee Community (Wisconsin), and repatriation may occur on or after September 23, 2026.
Who Can Request Repatriation
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may submit a written request for repatriation if they show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, the NY Office of Parks must determine the most appropriate requestor; joint requests are treated as a single request.
Repatriation Involves No Public Cost
The repatriation described in this notice is stated to involve no cost to the public. The return of the items will proceed without charging the public for the process.
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