The University of Rhode Island has completed a formal cultural inventory under federal repatriation laws, establishing that human remains representing six individuals of Native American ancestry are currently held in its collections without a known cultural affiliation or lineal descendant. Published through the federal administrative record, the notice outlines procedures for potential repatriation claims while detailing an archive that lacks documentation regarding the geographic origin or acquisition history of the remains.
According to the inventory notice issued under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the remains—housed across collections designated as “Box 1,” “Box 2,” and “Box 3”—contain no associated funerary objects. At present, the university’s records contain no files within its archives that specify the archaeological context, acquisition history, or geographic origin of these remains.
The review process began with an initial osteological inventory conducted in 2022, which initially identified at least seven individuals. Following requests from consulting parties, the university performed non-invasive skeletal analysis on campus in 2026 to verify Native American ancestry. That examination led to the removal of the remains of one individual determined not to be of Native American ancestry, reducing the minimum count to six.
Tribal Consultations and Determinations of Affiliation
During the inventory process, the university extended formal consultation invitations to several regional tribes. Invitations were dispatched in 2026 to the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, the Narragansett Indian Tribe, and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). An invitation was also sent in 2024 to the Assonet Band of the Wampanoag Nation, a non-federally recognized Indian group.
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Engagement and participation in the consultation process came from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), the Narragansett Indian Tribe, the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Reviewing available biological data, expert opinions, and Native American traditional knowledge, the university concluded that the evidence demonstrates no connection to an earlier group, no link to any current Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization, and no shared group identity that can be traced through time.
Under the statutory framework set out in 25 U.S.C. 3003 and implementing regulations detailed in 43 CFR 10.10, the university determined that the physical remains represent six individuals of Native American ancestry, but no eligible lineal descendant or culturally affiliated tribe has been identified.
Repatriation Procedures and Administrative Timeline
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization that demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that they are an eligible claimant may submit a written request for the return of the remains. Submissions must be directed to Kristine M. Bovy, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Rhode Island, 507 Chafee Bldg., Kingston, RI 02881, or The Office of the General Counsel, 35 Campus Avenue, Kingston, RI 02881.
In the event that competing claims are filed, the University of Rhode Island must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation, while joint requests are evaluated as a single application. Formal repatriation of the remains may proceed on or after November 30, 2026, upon request.
