Auburn's artifact inventory: Tribes can claim starting October
Published Date: 9/23/2026
Notice
Summary
Auburn University at Montgomery has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and artifacts found in Alabama. These items are linked to local tribes and could be returned starting October 23, 2026. If you want to request the return, contact the university soon—this is a big step in respecting Native heritage with no cost involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Repatriation available October 23, 2026
If you are a member of an identified Tribe or a lineal descendant, Auburn University at Montgomery may return human remains and funerary objects starting on October 23, 2026. The notice covers human remains representing 13 individuals and 1,046 associated funerary objects; written requests must be sent to Kimberly Pyszka at Auburn University at Montgomery (address and email provided in the notice).
Specific Tribes Identified as Affiliated
Auburn University at Montgomery has found a cultural affiliation between the remains/objects and the following groups: Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; Kialegee Tribal Town; Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Poarch Band of Creek Indians; Seminole Tribe of Florida; Shawnee Tribe; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; and The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Those named Tribes are identified as connected to the 13 individuals and 1,046 objects described in the notice.
Who May Request Repatriation and How
Repatriation requests may be submitted by any one or more of the Tribes listed in the notice, or by any lineal descendant or Tribe/organization not listed that shows by a preponderance of the evidence a cultural affiliation. If competing requests are received, Auburn University at Montgomery must determine the most appropriate requestor; joint repatriation requests are treated as a single request.
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Previous: 2026-19484, Notice of Inventory Completion: Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL
Auburn University at Montgomery has finished checking and listing Native American human remains and burial items found in Alabama. These remains and objects are linked to specific Native tribes and can be returned starting October 23, 2026. If you want to request the return, contact the university soon—no money changes hands, but respect and history do!
Next: 2026-19486, Notice of Intended Repatriation: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
The University of Minnesota plans to return 40 groups of Native American cultural items, like tools and pottery, to the tribes they belong to. These items were collected in the 1940s and may be repatriated starting October 23, 2026. This respectful move honors Native American traditions and involves no costs or hazards.