Unmarked Boxes at the University of Rhode Island Hold Ancestry Questions
For years, human remains representing at least six Native American individuals sat quietly in university archives labeled simply as “Box 1,” “Box 2,” and “Box 3.” The University of Rhode Island houses these remains with no accompanying documentation regarding their geographic origin, archaeological context, or how they were acquired. Now, under the mandates of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the institution has published a formal Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register, clearing a path for potential repatriation beginning November 30, 2026.
The path to this notice involved careful on-campus analysis. Based on an initial 2022 osteological inventory, university records indicated that seven individuals were present. However, consulting parties requested non-invasive skeletal analysis on campus in 2026. That examination determined that the remains of one individual were not of Native American ancestry, reducing the minimum count to the six individuals noted in the current federal filing.
Consultation and the Search for Cultural Affiliation
To determine the origins of the remains, university officials reached out across the region. Formal consultation invitations went out 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 also went out in 2024 to the Assonet Band of the Wampanoag Nation, a non-federally recognized Indian group.
Four of those consulted—the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, the Narragansett Indian Tribe, and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)—participated in the process. Biological evidence, expert opinion, and Native American traditional knowledge were brought into the evaluation. Despite this collaboration, the available information identified no earlier group connected to the remains, no specific Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization linked to them, and no shared group identity that could be reasonably traced through time.
Consequently, the University of Rhode Island has determined that while the remains are of Native American ancestry, no known lineal descendant or culturally affiliated Tribe has been clearly identified. The determinations remain the sole responsibility of the university, and the National Park Service holds no responsibility for these findings.
Next Steps for Repatriation Requests
With the inventory complete, the formal timeline for potential transfer opens. According to the implementing regulations in 43 CFR 10.10, repatriation of the human remains may occur on or after November 30, 2026, upon request.
Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization seeking repatriation must submit a written request showing by a preponderance of the evidence that they are eligible. These requests must be directed to Kristine M. Bovy in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at 507 Chafee Bldg., Kingston, RI 02881 (email kbovy@uri.edu), with a copy sent to The Office of the General Counsel at 35 Campus Avenue, Kingston, RI 02881 (email URIGeneralCounsel@uri.edu).
If competing requests arrive, the university must determine the appropriate requestor before any transfer takes place. Joint requests will be treated as a single request rather than competing claims.
