Notice of Inventory Completion: Human Remains and Funerary Objects — San Bernardino County Museum (NAGPRA)

San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, California has completed a formal inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects held in its collections, as required under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The inventory process identified a cultural affiliation between these remains and objects and one or more federally recognized Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. NAGPRA mandates that museums and federal agencies holding Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony must inventory these holdings and consult with lineal descendants and affiliated tribes. Upon completion of the inventory, institutions are required to publish a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register to formally notify affiliated tribes and initiate the repatriation process. Following publication of this notice, the identified affiliated Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations have the legal right to request repatriation of the human remains and funerary objects. The museum is obligated to repatriate these items upon receipt of a valid claim, provided no other party has submitted a competing claim within the established timeframe. This notice represents a procedural step in the federal repatriation framework, triggering a 30-day period during which other tribes may assert competing claims. After that window, the museum may proceed with transfer of the remains and objects to the affiliated tribes.

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