In consultation with an affected Indian tribe or lineal descendant, the Secretary may authorize the use of National Forest System land by the Indian tribe or lineal descendant for the reburial of human remains or cultural items in the possession of the Indian tribe or lineal descendant that have been disinterred from National Forest System land or an adjacent site.
With the consent of the affected Indian tribe or lineal descendent, the Secretary may recover and rebury, at Federal expense or using other available funds, human remains and cultural items described in subsection (a) at the National Forest System land identified under that subsection.
Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary may authorize such uses of reburial sites on National Forest System land, or on the National Forest System land immediately surrounding a reburial site, as the Secretary determines to be necessary for management of the National Forest System.
In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall avoid adverse impacts to cultural items and human remains, to the maximum extent practicable.
25 U.S.C. § 3053
EDITORIAL NOTES
CODIFICATION Pub. L. 110-234 and Pub. L. 110-246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110-234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110-246.
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATESection and repeal of Pub. L. 110-234 by Pub. L. 110-246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110-234 see section 4 of Pub. L. 110-246 set out as a note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.
DEFINITION OF "SECRETARY""Secretary" as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.
- Indian tribe
- The term "Indian tribe" means any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or other community the name of which is included on a list published by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to section 5131 of this title.
- adjacent site
- The term "adjacent site" means a site that borders a boundary line of National Forest System land.
- human remains
- The term "human remains" means the physical remains of the body of a person of Indian ancestry.
- lineal descendant
- The term "lineal descendant" means an individual that can trace, directly and without interruption, the ancestry of the individual through the traditional kinship system of an Indian tribe, or through the common law system of descent, to a known Indian, the human remains, funerary objects, or other sacred objects of whom are claimed by the individual.
- reburial site
- The term "reburial site" means a specific physical location at which cultural items or human remains are reburied.