Notice

Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, HI

A Notice by the National Park Service on 03/18/2026

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• Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-05303 (91 FR 13062) Document Headings ###### Department of the Interior

National Park Service

1. [N7009; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042364; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES:

Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice may occur on or after April 17, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice to Rhonda Loh, Park Superintendent, P.O. Box 52, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718, email rhonda_loh@nps.gov.

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 Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or related records.

Abstract of Information Available

Human remains representing, at least, six individuals have been identified. The 173 associated funerary objects are volcanic flakes, cores, charcoal samples, soil samples, worked faunal remains, beads, fishhook fragments, bottle fragments, can fragments, shells, adzes, sherds, unknown (metal fragments), bolts, abraders, coral, and different types of pōhaku. These associated funerary objects are from salvage archeological excavations in Kalapana that took place between 1987 and 1989, specifically from Poupou Kauka and Ka'ili'ili Village, located in the ahupua'a of Poupou Kauka/Pūlama. The excavations took place before the area was inundated by lava flows. After completion of the fieldwork, the materials excavated were sent for multiple types of analyses over the course of several years and eventually separated. One portion of the excavated material was accessioned under HAVO-00314 and HAVO-00317 in 1990, and the other portion was set aside at the time to potentially be used as reference collection however, went into storage and was not used in this manner.

Based on available information from the archeological record and draft archeological report that was produced as a result of the fieldwork, there is no known presence of potentially hazardous substances on any of the human remains and associated funerary objects, and the cultural affiliation is Native Hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli) based on the pre-Contact dates confirmed through the archeological analysis completed. Items on the inventory are all from archeological test pits that contain confirmed human remains (iwi kūpuna) which were confirmed through osteological analysis. This inventory fulfills the NPS' responsibility for completing an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects in 43 CFR 10.10(d) of the NAGPRA implementing regulations.

Cultural Affiliation

Based on the information available and the results of consultation, cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical location or acquisition history of the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice.

Determination

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of six individuals of Native Hawaiian ancestry.
• The 173 objects described in this notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony.
• There is a connection between the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice to the Kaina, Kahilihiwa and Ka'awaloa 'Ohana group.

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:

1. Any one or more of the Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

2. Any lineal descendant 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 an Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation.

Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after April 17, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing requests. The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and any other consulting parties.

Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.

Dated: March 12, 2026.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.

[FR Doc. 2026-05303 Filed 3-17-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4312-52-P

Published Document: 2026-05303 (91 FR 13062)