BLM Alaska to repatriate Native remains and cultural items under three federal notices

The Bureau of Land Management Alaska State Office will repatriate Native American human remains and cultural items to affiliated tribes under three notices published this week by the National Park Service. The returns may occur on or after June 29, 2026.

The three Federal Register notices cover human remains alone, human remains with associated funerary objects, and one unassociated funerary object.

Under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, federal agencies must complete inventories of Native American human remains and cultural items in their control and determine cultural affiliation before repatriation.