Notice of Intended Disposition of Native American Human Remains and Funerary Objects – Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, acting through the Mark Twain National Forest in Rolla, Missouri, has issued a formal notice of intended disposition under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The notice concerns human remains and associated funerary objects that were previously removed from Federal or Tribal lands under the jurisdiction of the Mark Twain National Forest. Under NAGPRA, federal agencies and federally funded institutions are legally obligated to return Native American cultural items — including human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony — to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. This notice signals that the Forest Service has completed or is completing the required consultation and documentation process. Priority for the disposition will be given to lineal descendants first, followed by the Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with the strongest cultural affiliation as determined through the NAGPRA process. Tribes and organizations with potential claims are expected to respond within the regulatory timeframe to assert their rights. This action is part of a broader federal effort to honor tribal sovereignty and fulfill trust responsibilities to Indigenous peoples by ensuring the respectful return of ancestral remains and sacred items removed — often without consent — during historical excavations or land management activities.

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