Notice of Intended Repatriation: American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the American Museum of Natural History intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an object of cultural patrimony and that has a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. DATES: Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice may occur on or after July 22, 2026. ADDRESSES: Send additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural item in this notice to Nell Murphy, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, email nmurphy@amnh.org. 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 American Museum of Natural History, and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the summary or related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice. Abstract of Information Available A total of one cultural item has been requested for repatriation. The one object of cultural patrimony is a wooden mask. The mask was accessioned by the Museum in 1903 and is described in Museum records as being used for maternity rites. The collector, Harriet Maxwell Converse, was a Euro-American folklorist and historian who was born in in Elmira, New York, in 1936. Converse was an avid collector of Iroquois objects and persuaded Tribes to transfer historic objects to the state museum in Albany for preservation. She also inherited a family collection from her father and grandfather. Museum records state that the requested mask is Oneida and was collected from the United States. The original date and place of collection is unknown, though Converse's collection activities primarily occurred within the state of New York. While it no longer does so, in the past, the Museum applied potentially hazardous pesticides to items in the collections. Museum records do not list specific objects treated or which of several chemicals used were applied to a particular item. Therefore, those handling this material should follow the advice of industrial hygienists or medical personnel with specialized training in occupational health or with potentially hazardous substances. Determinations The American Museum of Natural History has determined that: - The one object of cultural patrimony described in this notice have ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance central to the Native American group, including any constituent sub-group (such as a band, clan, lineage, ceremonial society, or other subdivision), according to the Native American traditional knowledge of an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. - There is a connection between the cultural item described in this notice and the Oneida Indian Nation. Requests for Repatriation Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural item 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 not identified in this notice who shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after July 22, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the American Museum of Natural History must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the cultural item are considered a single request and not competing requests. The American Museum of Natural History is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and to any other consulting parties. Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3004 and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9. Dated: June 12, 2026. Melanie O'Brien, Manager, National NAGPRA Program.