Notice of Intended Repatriation: The Field Museum
Summary
The National Park Service has published a Notice of Intended Repatriation concerning cultural items held by The Field Museum in Chicago. This notice indicates that repatriation may occur on or after April 15, 2026.
What changed
The National Park Service (NPS) has issued a Notice of Intended Repatriation regarding cultural items associated with The Field Museum in Chicago. This notice, published on March 16, 2026, serves as a formal announcement of the museum's intent to repatriate these items, with the repatriation potentially occurring on or after April 15, 2026. The specific items and their provenance are detailed within the full notice.
This action is part of the ongoing implementation of repatriation laws, likely related to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). While this notice itself does not impose new obligations on regulated entities, it signifies a procedural step in the repatriation process. Compliance officers should be aware of this notice if their institutions interact with The Field Museum or similar cultural heritage organizations, or if they are involved in the management or oversight of cultural artifacts subject to repatriation laws.
What to do next
- Review the full notice for specific details on the cultural items involved.
- Note the potential repatriation date of April 15, 2026.
Source document (simplified)
Legal Status This site displays a prototype of a “Web 2.0” version of the daily
Federal Register. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal
Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official
electronic version on GPO’s govinfo.gov.
The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal
Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the
corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. This prototype edition of the
daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial
informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal
Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status.
For complete information about, and access to, our official publications
and services, go to About the Federal Register on NARA's archives.gov.
The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable
regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of
establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned
publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that
the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with
the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for
legal research should verify their results against an official edition of
the Federal Register. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML
rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not
provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts.
Legal Status
Notice
Notice of Intended Repatriation: The Field Museum, Chicago, IL
A Notice by the National Park Service on 03/16/2026
- 1.
1.
Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agencies Department of the Interior National Park Service Agency/Docket Numbers N6990 NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042311 PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000 Document Citation 91 FR 12622 Document Number 2026-05049 Document Type Notice Pages 12622-12623
(2 pages) Publication Date 03/16/2026 Published Content - Document DetailsPDF Official Content
- View printed version (PDF) Official Content
Document Details Published Content - Document Details Agencies Department of the Interior National Park Service Agency/Docket Numbers N6990 NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042311 PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000 Document Citation 91 FR 12622 Document Number 2026-05049 Document Type Notice Pages 12622-12623
(2 pages) Publication Date 03/16/2026 Published Content - Document DetailsDocument Dates Published Content - Document Dates Dates Text Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice may occur on or after April 15, 2026. Published Content - Document Dates
Table of Contents Enhanced Content - Table of Contents This table of contents is a navigational tool, processed from the
headings within the legal text of Federal Register documents.
This repetition of headings to form internal navigation links
has no substantive legal effect.- AGENCY:
- ACTION:
- SUMMARY:
- DATES:
- ADDRESSES:
- SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
- Abstract of Information Available
- Determinations
- Requests for Repatriation Enhanced Content - Table of Contents
Related Documents Enhanced Content - Related Documents FederalRegister.gov uses the agency dockets published with the document to display related documents.
| PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000
(4028 Documents) | | | |
| --- | | | |
| Date | | Action | Title |
| | 2026-03-16 | Notice. | Notice of Intended Repatriation: The Field Museum, Chicago, IL |
| | 2021-10-28 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA |
| | 2021-10-28 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI |
| | 2021-10-28 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Anthropological Studies Center, Archaeological Collections Facility, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA |
| | 2021-10-28 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Temple University Anthropology Laboratory and Museum, Philadelphia, PA |
| | 2021-10-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Baylor University's Mayborn Museum Complex, Waco, TX (formerly Baylor University's Strecker Museum; formerly Baylor University Museum) |
| | 2021-10-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: American University, Department of Anthropology, Washington, DC |
| | 2021-10-19 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH |
| | 2021-10-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Culver-Stockton College, Canton, MO |
| | 2021-09-27 | Notice; correction. | Notice of Inventory Completion: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY; Correction |
| | 2021-09-27 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA |
| | 2021-09-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA |
| | 2021-09-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL |
| | 2021-09-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, MS |
| | 2021-09-20 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA |
| | 2021-09-13 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL |
| | 2021-09-13 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, MS |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and Pueblo Grande Museum, City of Phoenix, AZ |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC |
| | 2021-08-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, San Francisco, CA |
| | 2021-08-17 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of San Diego, San Diego, CA |
| | 2021-08-17 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI |
| | 2021-08-17 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Baylor University's Mayborn Museum Complex, (Formerly Baylor University's Strecker Museum; Formerly Baylor University Museum), Waco, TX |
| | 2021-08-17 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Alabama Department of Transportation, Montgomery, AL |
| | 2021-08-17 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC and University of Montana, Missoula, MT |
| | 2021-08-17 | Notice. | Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and Pueblo Grande Museum, City of Phoenix, AZ |
| | 2021-08-17 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Logan Museum of Anthropology, Beloit College, Beloit, WI |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice; correction. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; Correction |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice; correction. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ; Correction |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice; correction. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; Correction |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, Waterford, NY |
| | 2021-08-11 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL |
| | 2021-07-22 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO |
| | 2021-07-22 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO |
| | 2021-07-22 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO |
| | 2021-07-22 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office, Anchorage, AK |
| | 2021-07-22 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, CA |
| | 2021-07-22 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA |
| | 2021-07-19 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY |
| | 2021-07-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository, Kodiak, AK |
| | 2021-07-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL |
| | 2021-07-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Fowler Museum at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA |
| | 2021-07-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH |
| | 2021-07-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Fremont Indian State Park and Museum, Sevier, UT |
| | 2021-07-19 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI |
| | 2021-07-06 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL |
| | 2021-07-06 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK |
| | 2021-07-06 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH |
| | 2021-07-06 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI |
| | 2021-07-06 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL |
| | 2021-07-06 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Art Theft Program, Washington, DC |
| | 2021-06-25 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Tuzigoot National Monument, Clarkdale, AZ |
| | 2021-06-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR |
| | 2021-06-25 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR |
| | 2021-06-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Appalachian State University, Boone, NC |
| | 2021-06-25 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK |
| | 2021-06-25 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center, North Fork, CA |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: The University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley, CA |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Corporation, State of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Arizona Museum of Natural History, Mesa, AZ |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: McClure Archives and University Museum, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO |
| | 2021-06-08 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area, Toledo, OH |
| | 2021-05-26 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: San Juan County Museum Association DBA Salmon Ruins Museum, Bloomfield, NM |
| | 2021-05-26 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: San Juan County Museum Association DBA Salmon Ruins Museum, Bloomfield, NM |
| | 2021-05-26 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, Blanding, UT |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Anthropology, Madison, WI |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Anthropology, Madison, WI |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Anthropology, Madison, WI |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Anthropology, Madison, WI |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Anthropology, Madison, WI |
| | 2021-05-20 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Anthropology, Madison, WI |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, CA |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, CA |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, CA |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, CA |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: The Trustees of Reservations, Boston, MA |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Nebraska State Historical Society, DBA History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA |
| | 2021-04-27 | Notice. | Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, National Museum of Health and Medicine, Silver Spring, MD |
| View More Docket Documents | | | |
Enhanced Content - Related Documents
- Public Comments Enhanced Content - Public Comments This feature is not available for this document.
Enhanced Content - Public Comments
- Regulations.gov Data Enhanced Content - Regulations.gov Data Additional information is not currently available for this document.
Enhanced Content - Regulations.gov Data
- Sharing Enhanced Content - Sharing Shorter Document URL https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-05049 Email Email this document to a friend Enhanced Content - Sharing
- Print Enhanced Content - Print
- Print this document Enhanced Content - Print
- Document Statistics Enhanced Content - Document Statistics Document page views are updated periodically throughout the day and are cumulative counts for this document. Counts are subject to sampling, reprocessing and revision (up or down) throughout the day.
Page views 13
as of
03/14/2026 at 2:15 pm EDT Enhanced Content - Document Statistics
- Other Formats Enhanced Content - Other Formats This document is also available in the following formats:
JSON Normalized attributes and metadata XML Original full text XML MODS Government Publishing Office metadata More information and documentation can be found in our developer tools pages.
Enhanced Content - Other Formats
- Public Inspection Public Inspection This PDF is FR Doc. 2026-05049 as it appeared on Public Inspection on
03/13/2026 at 8:45 am.
It was viewed
3
times while on Public Inspection.
If you are using public inspection listings for legal research, you
should verify the contents of the documents against a final, official
edition of the Federal Register. Only official editions of the
Federal Register provide legal notice of publication to the public and judicial notice
to the courts under 44 U.S.C. 1503 & 1507. Learn more here.
Public Inspection
Published Document: 2026-05049 (91 FR 12622) This document has been published in the Federal Register. Use the PDF linked in the document sidebar for the official electronic format.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain
the following:
- the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
- the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to
- the agency docket number / agency internal file number
- the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details.
Department of the Interior
National Park Service
- [N6990; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042311; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
AGENCY:
National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Field Museum 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 April 15, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural items in this notice to Helen Robbins, The Field Museum, 1400 S DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, email hrobbins@fieldmuseum.org.
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 Field Museum, 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 270 cultural items have been requested for repatriation from Coconino and Navajo Counties, Arizona for repatriation. These 270 objects of cultural patrimony are from one accession that has been approved for repatriation. They consist of ceramic vessels such as food bowls, cooking pots, jars, vases, mugs, and ladles; bone items such as awls and shell objects; stone items such as mortars, a hammer, and other implements; and jewelry. The requested items are part of Accession 745, (now known as the Frank J. Wattron Collection) and was acquired in 1901 by the Field Columbian Museum (now known as the Field Museum). Frank J. Wattron removed or purchased the requested items between July 1898 and April 1899 from various sites affiliated with the Hopi Tribe in northeastern Arizona, including K Ranch, X Ranch, Sikyatki, Taylor Springs, and Moki Peaks. All items in this request are archaeological and identified in Field Museum records as Hopi. Based on consultation, academic research, and Field Museum records, these sites are affiliated with the Hopi Tribe of Arizona. There is no known presence of any potentially hazardous substances used to treat any of the cultural items.
Determinations
The Field Museum has determined that:
- The 270 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 ( printed page 12623) 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 Hopi Tribe of Arizona.
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 April 15, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the Field Museum 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 Field Museum is responsible 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: March 5, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-05049 Filed 3-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
Published Document: 2026-05049 (91 FR 12622)
Related changes
Source
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get Government & Legislation alerts
Weekly digest. AI-summarized, no noise.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when FR: Interior Department publishes new changes.