Kansas uni ships Pamunkey Tribe's ancestors home after federal inventory check
Published Date: 9/23/2026
Notice
Summary
The University of Kansas has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and special items linked to the Pamunkey Indian Tribe from Virginia. Starting October 23, 2026, these remains and objects can be returned to the tribe. This process helps honor Native American heritage and follows important laws protecting their history.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation of one Native individual and 142 objects
The University of Kansas has identified the physical remains of one Native American individual and 142 associated funerary objects (including 91 projectile points, four drills, various ceramic pieces, 24 bifaces, and a groundstone gorget) that are affiliated with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe of Virginia. These remains and objects can be returned to the Pamunkey Indian Tribe on or after October 23, 2026; the materials were collected by James Sheldon Carey in 1934–1935 and donated to KU in 1996.
Who may request repatriation and resolution rules
If you are a Pamunkey Tribal representative or a lineal descendant, you may submit a written request for repatriation to the University of Kansas; other Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations or individuals can also request repatriation if they show by a preponderance of the evidence they are lineal descendants or culturally affiliated. If competing requests are received, the University of Kansas must determine the most appropriate requestor before repatriation; repatriation may occur on or after October 23, 2026.
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-19475, Notice of Inventory Completion: Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum, Lindsborg, KS
The Lindsborg Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum in Kansas has finished listing Native American human remains and related items, linking them to local tribes. Starting October 23, 2026, these remains and objects can be returned to the rightful Native communities. This process respects Native heritage and follows important laws protecting their ancestors.
Next: 2026-19477, Notice of Inventory Completion: Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN
Indiana State University has finished checking and identifying Native American human remains and a funerary object found in Dearborn County, Indiana. These remains belong to two Native American individuals, and the university is ready to return them to the affiliated tribes starting October 23, 2026. If you want to request the return, contact ISU soon—no money changes hands, just respect and care for these important cultural items.