# 2026-19464: Museum Returns Ancient Remains: Tribes Get Their Ancestors Back

2026-19464, Notice of Inventory Completion: The University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN, and the Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, Knoxville, TN, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2026-09-23, effective 2026-10-23 (as of 2026-09-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19464
- As of: 2026-09-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-19464
- Title: Notice of Inventory Completion: The University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN, and the Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, Knoxville, TN
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 91 FR 60402
- Published: 2026-09-23
- Effective: 2026-10-23
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-09-30

## In one line

Museum Returns Ancient Remains: Tribes Get Their Ancestors Back

## Summary

The University of Tennessee and the Frank H. McClung Museum have finished listing Native American human remains and artifacts found in Virginia. They’ve confirmed these items belong to specific tribes and will start returning them after October 23, 2026. This means important cultural treasures will be respectfully sent back to their rightful communities soon.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology and the Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture (UTK) have completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and have determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- Return of 7 Native Individuals and 29 Objects: benefit, medium. The University of Tennessee has determined that human remains representing at least seven Native American individuals and 29 associated funerary objects from sites in Smyth and Wise Counties, Virginia, are culturally affiliated with specific tribes. These remains and objects are eligible for repatr…
- Who Can Request Repatriation and How: benefit, low. Written requests for repatriation may be submitted to Dr. Ellen Lofaro, University of Tennessee, Office of Repatriation (Knoxville, TN 37996; email: the address listed in the notice) by any one or more of the named tribes or by any lineal descendant or tribe that shows by a preponderance of the evi…

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## Sources
- [2026-19464 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/23/2026-19464/notice-of-inventory-completion-the-university-of-tennessee-department-of-anthropology-knoxville-tn)
- [2026-19464 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-23/pdf/2026-19464.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-19462, Renewal of the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Committee](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19462)
- [Next: 2026-19465, Notice of Inventory Completion: Indiana University, Bloomington, IN](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19465)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19464 (as of 2026-09-30).