[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58273-58274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22876]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[N6599; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041331; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intended Repatriation: California State University, 
Sacramento, Sacramento, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the California State University, Sacramento 
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition 
of objects of cultural patrimony and that have a cultural affiliation 
with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES: Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice may occur on 
or after January 15, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the 
cultural items in this notice to Dr. Mark R. Wheeler, Senior Advisor to 
President Luke Wood, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J 
Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the 
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
California State University, Sacramento, and additional information on 
the determinations in this notice, including the results of 
consultation, can be found in the summary or related records. The 
National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this 
notice.

Abstract of Information Available

    A total of at least 576 cultural items have been requested for 
repatriation. The 576 objects of cultural patrimony include faunal 
remains, flaked and ground stones, modified shells and stones, and 
unmodified stones. An unknown number of unidentified cultural items may 
be missing from the collection, which may include other categories of 
items. The cultural items were collected from CA-SIE-20, CA-SIE-21 and 
CA-SIE-Unknown in Sierra County, CA in the 1960s by the Central 
California Archaeological Foundation under contract with the National 
Park Service prior to the construction of Stampede Reservoir. The 
collection has since been housed at the California State University, 
Sacramento under accession number 81-CSUS-188. In 2024, the National 
Park Service denied having possession or control of the collections 
and; thus, California State University, Sacramento assumed control of 
the collections and initiated consultation. The California State 
University, Sacramento is unaware of any treatment of the objects of 
cultural patrimony with pesticides, preservatives, or other substances 
that represent a potential hazard to the objects or to persons handling 
the objects.

Determinations

    The California State University, Sacramento has determined that:
     The 576 objects of cultural patrimony described in this 
notice have ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance 
central to the Native American group, including any constituent sub-
group (such as a band, clan, lineage, ceremonial society, or other 
subdivision), according to the Native American traditional knowledge of 
an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
     There is a connection between the cultural items described 
in this notice and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California (Carson 
Colony, Dresslerville Colony, Woodfords Community, Stewart Community, & 
Washoe Ranches).

Requests for Repatriation

    Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural items 
in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified 
in this notice under ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation may be 
submitted by any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a 
preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal 
descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization.
    Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice to a requestor 
may occur on or after January 15, 2026. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the California State University, Sacramento 
must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. 
Requests for joint repatriation of the cultural items are considered a 
single request and not competing requests. The California State 
University, Sacramento is responsible

[[Page 58274]]

for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native 
Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and to any other 
consulting parties.
    Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 
25 U.S.C. 3004 and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9.

    Dated: November 17, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-22876 Filed 12-15-25; 8:45 am]
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