The U.S. Department of Defense is planning to transfer certain cultural items from San Clemente Island to appropriate Native American groups. These items, which include funerary objects and sacred artifacts, were collected between 1991 and 2015 by various organizations working for the Navy. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) guides this process and specifies priority for certain tribes, including the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians and others. Claims for these items can be submitted until March 17, 2026, after which items with no claims will be deemed unclaimed.
Simple Explanation
The U.S. Navy wants to give back some special objects, like old tools and sacred items, to Native American groups because they belong to them. Some grown-ups have to say who should get these objects, and anyone who wants to claim them has until March 17, 2026, to do so.