2026-17713Notice

ASU Evolution School Ships Out Cultural Treasures

Published Date: 8/31/2026

Notice

Summary

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Center for Archaeology and Society Repository (acting in place of the Arizona State University School of Human Evolution and Social Change) intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and/or objects of cultural patrimony and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

ASU plans to return 19 cultural lots

Arizona State University’s repository intends to repatriate 19 lots of cultural items — 14 lots of unassociated funerary objects (10 lots of faunal bone, one lot of botanicals, three lots of shell) and five lots of sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony (one ceramic object and four lots of shell). The items were removed in November 1988 from a site in Maricopa County, Arizona, and ASU identifies a cultural affiliation with the Ak-Chin, Gila River, Salt River Pima‑Maricopa, and Tohono O'odham communities (together described as O'Odham).

Repatriation can occur after Sept 30, 2026

Repatriation of the cultural items described may occur on or after September 30, 2026. If competing requests are received, ASU CASR must determine the most appropriate requestor, and joint requests are treated as a single request.

How other tribes or descendants may request items

Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the notice may submit a written request for repatriation to ASU CASR by showing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they are a lineal descendant or culturally affiliated. Requests must be sent to the ASU authorized representative named in the notice.

Personalized for You

How does this regulation affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Key Dates

Published Date
Effective Date
8/31/2026
9/30/2026

Department and Agencies

Department
Independent Agency
Agency
Interior Department
National Park Service
Source: View HTML

Related Federal Register Documents

Previous / Next Documents

Back to Federal Register