Document

Notice of Inventory Completion: Warren Anatomical Museum Collection, Center for the History of Medicine in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (PMAE) and Warren Ana...

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
  1. [N7115; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042684; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (PMAE) and Warren Anatomical Museum collection in the Center for the History of Medicine, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University (CHoM) have completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and have determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES:

Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice may occur on or after June 4, 2026.

( printed page 24284)

ADDRESSES:

Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice to Jane Pickering, Director, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, .

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 PMAE and CHoM, Harvard University and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been identified. The one associated funerary object is a glass specimen jar for housing the human remains. The human remains of an unborn fetus were collected by or for Jeffries Wyman prior to his death in 1874 from the immediate area near Lake Superior, Michigan. Upon Wyman's death, some of his museum collection was bequeathed to the anatomical museum of the Boston Society for Medical Improvement which was later formally absorbed into Harvard's Warren Anatomical Museum in 1889. The human remains are preserved in an unknown medical grade preservation fluid, likely alcohol-based, given the historic introduction of formaldehyde in 1889.

Cultural Affiliation

Based on the information available and the results of consultation, cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available about the human remains and associated funerary object described in this notice.

Determinations

The PMAE and CHoM have determined that:

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES . Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:

1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

2. 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 an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation.

Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after June 4, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the PMAE and CHoM must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing requests. The PMAE and CHoM are responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.

Dated: April 27, 2026.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.

[FR Doc. 2026-08761 Filed 5-4-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4312-52-P

Legal Citation

Federal Register Citation

Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.

91 FR 24283

Web Citation

Suggested Web Citation

Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.

“Notice of Inventory Completion: Warren Anatomical Museum Collection, Center for the History of Medicine in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA,” thefederalregister.org (May 5, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-08761/notice-of-inventory-completion-warren-anatomical-museum-collection-center-for-the-history-of-medicine-in-the-francis-a-c.