Notice

Notice of Proposed Transfer or Reinterment: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Waterford, NY

A Notice by the National Park Service on 03/27/2026

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• Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-05974 (91 FR 14870) Document Headings ###### Department of the Interior

National Park Service

1. [N6975; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042296; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (NYOPRHP) proposes to transfer human remains listed in notices of inventory completion published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2024 and December 18, 2025.

DATES:

Repatriation, transfer, or reinterment of the human remains in this notice may occur on or after April 27, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Send written request for repatriation of the human remains to Jessica Vavrasek, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Peebles Island State Park, P.O. Box 189, Waterford, NY 12188-0189, email Jessica.Vavrasek@parks.ny.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 NYOPRHP and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

This notice follows publication of two notices of inventory completion in the Federal Register (89 FR 53636, June 27, 2024 and 90 FR 59177, December 18, 2025). Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been identified. A suspected Native American scalp was discovered during periotic cleaning of 80+ year old exhibit dedicated to Dan Beard located within Bear Mountain State Park as well as a necklace containing suspected Native American hand and foot bones with blue glass trade beads in-between the remains. The scalp was discovered within a riker box inside of a cardboard box with “Indian Scalp” written on the ( printed page 14871) outside in pencil. The necklace was discovered hung on a replica mantle display. No information is available as to where, when, or how they were acquired.

Consultation

Invitations to consult were sent to the Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe of Indians; and the Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin. The Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin all responded yes to NYOPRHP's request for consultation on this matter with all three Nations agreeing that the Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin would take the lead during this consultation.

Cultural Affiliation

The following types of information about the cultural affiliation of the human remains in this notice are available: geographical and historical. The information, including the results of consultation, identified:

1. No earlier group connected to the human remains.

2. No Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization connected to the human remains.

3. No relationship of shared group identity between the earlier group and the Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization that can be reasonably traced through time.

Determinations

The NYOPRHP has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of three individuals of Native American ancestry.
• No known lineal descendant who can trace ancestry to the human remains in this notice has been identified.
• No Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation to the human remains in this notice has been clearly or reasonably identified.
• The Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin have requested transfer of the human remains described in this notice.

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains 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 who shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation.

Repatriation, transfer, or reinterment of the human remains described in this notice may occur on or after April 27, 2026. If requests for repatriation are received, the NYOPRHP must evaluate the requests and respond in writing to the requestors. The NYOPRHP is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

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

Dated: March 11, 2026.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.

[FR Doc. 2026-05974 Filed 3-26-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4312-52-P

Published Document: 2026-05974 (91 FR 14870)