Cape Cod Park Returns 337 Native Burial Items to Tribes
Published Date: 8/24/2026
Notice
Summary
The National Park Service at Cape Cod National Seashore has finished checking and identifying Native American human remains and 337 burial items found in Barnstable County, MA. These remains and objects are linked to local Indian Tribes, and they can be returned starting September 23, 2026. If you want to request the return, contact Jennifer Flynn at Cape Cod National Seashore.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation of Native remains and artifacts
Cape Cod National Seashore has identified human remains representing at least one Native American individual and 337 associated funerary objects recovered in Barnstable County, MA that are affiliated with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). These remains and objects may be repatriated on or after September 23, 2026; written requests for repatriation may be sent to Jennifer Flynn, Cape Cod National Seashore, 99 Marconi Site Road, Wellfleet, MA 02667 or by email at [email protected]. Eligible requestors include the tribes named in this notice and any lineal descendant or tribe/organization who shows cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence.
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