Utah Museum to Re-Bury 13 Ancestors Unless Claimed
Published Date: 10/8/2026
Notice
Summary
The Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding, Utah, plans to respectfully re-bury the remains of 13 Native American individuals starting November 9, 2026. This affects several tribes in the region and follows careful consultation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. No money changes hands, but the museum invites tribes to reach out for repatriation requests before the reinterment date.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Reinterment may occur after Nov 9, 2026
The Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum may re-bury the remains of 13 Native American individuals on or after November 9, 2026. If you are a lineal descendant, an Indian Tribe, or a Native Hawaiian organization, you may send a written request for repatriation to Chris Hanson at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum; the museum must evaluate and respond in writing to any requests it receives.
No known descendant or tribal affiliation found
The museum determined the 13 human remains are of Native American ancestry but identified no known lineal descendant and did not clearly or reasonably identify any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation. That determination is stated in the notice.
Who can request repatriation and proof standard
Only a lineal descendant, an Indian Tribe, or a Native Hawaiian organization may submit a repatriation request, and the requester must show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are a lineal descendant or have cultural affiliation. Written requests must be sent to the authorized representative named in the notice.
Tribes invited to consult; inventory details provided
The museum sent invitations to consult to a listed group of tribes (including the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Navajo Nation, Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and its bands, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona, Skull Valley Band of Goshute, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe). The notice states the remains represent 13 individuals (nine males, three females, one child) recovered from Box Elder, Sanpete, Emery, Tooele, and Davis counties.
No funerary objects or hazardous substances reported
The notice states that no associated funerary objects are present with the human remains and that there is no evidence of hazardous substances used to treat the remains.
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