Tennessee plans to return historic stone gorgets to tribes
Published Date: 10/30/2026
Notice
Summary
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation plans to return some special Native American stone gorgets found in Coffee County to the rightful tribes. These items, once displayed in a local museum, will be repatriated starting November 30, 2026. This respectful move honors Native American traditions and involves no costs or hazards.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Two stone gorgets to be returned
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation plans to repatriate one lot of unassociated funerary objects (two-hole stone gorgets) removed from an unknown site in Coffee County, Tennessee. The items are culturally affiliated with the Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Chickasaw Nation; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, and repatriation may occur on or after November 30, 2026.
How tribes or descendants may request items
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization may submit additional written requests for repatriation to Phillip R. Hodge at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology (1216 Foster Avenue, Cole Building #3, Nashville, TN 37243; email [email protected]). If competing requests are received, TDEC-DOA will determine the most appropriate requestor, and joint requests are treated as a single request.
No known hazardous exposure to items
The notice states there is no known exposure of the stone gorgets to hazardous substances or treatments. This means the items are not identified as posing a contamination or health hazard as part of the repatriation.
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