Unclaimed cultural items from Federal lands are Native American human remains and cultural items where:
- No Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization has sent a written claim for the cultural items, or no lineal descendant has responded; or
- The Federal agency could not reasonably identify any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization or lineal descendant with priority to claim.
What must be done?
Federal agencies must submit a list of unclaimed cultural items to NAGPRA_info@nps.gov within one year of the cultural items becoming unclaimed. Federal agencies must care for unclaimed cultural items consistent with the curation regulations at 36 CFR Part 79.
What may be done?
Federal agencies may transfer unclaimed cultural items to an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization or reinter unclaimed human remains or funerary objects. A notice of proposed transfer or reinterment must be published in a newspaper.
What templates are available for unclaimed cultural items?
Templates are available for download here.
What has been reported by Federal agencies so far?
Agency and Unit |
State |
County |
MNI |
AFO |
UFO |
SO |
OCP |
Meets the definition (see above) |
DHS, United States Coast Guard |
CA |
Yerba Buena Island |
20 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOD, Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District |
MO |
Wayne |
1 |
124 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOI, NPS, Gateway NRA |
NY |
Queens |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
DOI, NPS, George Washington Birthplace NM |
VA |
Westmoreland |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOI, NPS, Amistad NRA |
TX |
Val Verde |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOI, NPS, Amistad NRA |
TX |
Val Verde |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOI, NPS, Big Bend NP |
TX |
Brewster |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOI, NPS, Glen Canyon NRA |
UT |
San Juan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOD, Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Campbell District |
TN |
Montgomery |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOD, Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Campbell District |
TN |
Montgomery |
2 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOI, NPS, Hopewell Culture NHP Park |
OH |
Ross |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
DOI, NPS, Petersburg NBP |
VA |
Dinwiddie |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
|
|
33 |
142 |
4 |
|
|
|
Federal Agency |
State |
Action |
Publication Dates |
DHS, United State Coast Guard |
CA |
reinter |
San Francisco Chronicle, 4/12/2017 and 4/19/2017 |
DOD, Army Corps of Engineer, Fort Campbell District |
TN |
transfer |
Cadiz Record, 7/3/2019 and 7/10/2019; Leaf Chronicle, 7/4/2010 and 7/11/2019; and Steward/Houston Times, 7/9/2019 and 7/16/2019 |
DOI, National Park Service, Hopewell Culture NHP |
OK |
transfer |
Tulsa World of Tulsa, 4/23/2020 and 5/7/2020 |
Last updated: January 12, 2022