[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 43, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 43CFR10.15]

[Page 218]
 
                    TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS: INTERIOR
 
PART 10--NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart D--General
 
Sec. 10.15  Limitations and remedies.

    (a) Failure to claim prior to repatriation. (1) Any person who fails 
to make a timely claim prior to the repatriation or disposition of human 
remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural 
patrimony is deemed to have irrevocably waived any right to claim such 
items pursuant to these regulations or the Act. For these purposes, a 
``timely claim'' means the filing of a written claim with a responsible 
museum or Federal agency official prior to the time the particular human 
remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural 
patrimony at issue are duly repatriated or disposed of to a claimant by 
a museum or Federal agency pursuant to these regulations.
    (2) If there is more than one (1) claimant, the human remains, 
funerary object, sacred object, or objects of cultural patrimony may be 
held by the responsible museum or Federal agency or person in possession 
thereof pending resolution of the claim. Any person who is in custody of 
such human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of 
cultural patrimony and does not claim entitlement to them must place the 
objects in the possession of the responsible museum or Federal agency 
for retention until the question of custody is resolved.
    (b) Failure to claim where no repatriation or disposition has 
occurred. [Reserved]
    (c) Exhaustion of remedies. No person is considered to have 
exhausted his or her administrative remedies with respect to the 
repatriation or disposition of human remains, funerary objects, sacred 
objects, or objects of cultural patrimony subject to subpart B of these 
regulations, or, with respect to Federal lands, subpart C of these 
regulations, until such time as the person has filed a written claim for 
repatriation or disposition of the objects with the responsible museum 
or Federal agency and the claim has been duly denied following these 
regulations.
    (d) Savings provisions. Nothing in these regulations can be 
construed to:
    (1) Limit the authority of any museum or Federal agency to:
    (i) Return or repatriate human remains, funerary objects, sacred 
objects, or objects of cultural patrimony to Indian tribes, Native 
Hawaiian organizations, or individuals; and
    (ii) Enter into any other agreement with the consent of the 
culturally affiliated Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization as to 
the disposition of, or control over, human remains, funerary objects, 
sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony.
    (2) Delay actions on repatriation requests that were pending on 
November 16, 1990;
    (3) Deny or otherwise affect access to court;
    (4) Limit any procedural or substantive right which may otherwise be 
secured to individuals or Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations; or
    (5) Limit the application of any State or Federal law pertaining to 
theft of stolen property.

[60 FR 62158, Dec. 4, 1995, as amended at 62 FR 41294, Aug. 1, 1997]