Notice of Inventory Completion: Human Remains and Funerary Objects at Peabody Museum (Harvard) and The Rockwell Museum

The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University (PMAE) and The Rockwell Museum in Corning, NY have jointly completed inventories of human remains and associated funerary objects as required under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Both institutions have determined that cultural affiliation exists between these remains and objects and specific Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. NAGPRA mandates that federal agencies and museums receiving federal funding conduct inventories of Native American human remains and funerary objects in their collections, consult with lineal descendants and affiliated tribes, and facilitate repatriation upon request. This notice signals the formal completion of that inventory process for these two institutions. As a result of this determination, affiliated tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations now have the legal right to claim repatriation of the identified human remains and associated funerary objects. The institutions are obligated to transfer these items to the appropriate claimants upon receipt of a valid repatriation request. This notice is published in the Federal Register to inform all potentially affiliated tribes and organizations of their rights under NAGPRA and to initiate the 30-day public comment period before any repatriation may proceed.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.