Texas Archaeologists Prepare Ancient Remains and Artifacts for Tribal Return
Published Date: 10/16/2026
Notice
Summary
The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Center for Archaeological Research has finished checking and listing 19 ancient human remains and over 1,100 related artifacts from sites in Wharton County, Texas. These remains are linked to Native American tribes, and starting November 16, 2026, they can be returned to those tribes. This process helps honor Native American heritage and follows important laws protecting their ancestors.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Identified tribes may request repatriation
The University of Texas at San Antonio Center for Archaeological Research has identified 19 Native American individuals and 1,111 associated funerary objects from four Wharton County, Texas sites. The Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Kiowa Tribe; Mescalero Apache Tribe of New Mexico; Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; and the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe are named as culturally affiliated and may request repatriation on or after November 16, 2026.
Other lineal descendants can also request return
Anyone not listed in the notice who is a lineal descendant, or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the notice, may submit a written repatriation request if they show by a preponderance of the evidence that they are culturally affiliated. Such requests may lead to repatriation on or after November 16, 2026.
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