Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 5.djvu/282

 110 STAT. 3356 PUBLIC LAW 104-278—OCT. 9, 1996 20 USC 80q-9a. "SEC. 11A. SUMMARY AND REPATRIATION OF UNASSOCIATED FUNERARY OBJECTS, SACRED OBJECTS, AND CULTURAL PATRIMONY. "(a) SUMMARY.—Not later than December 31, 1996, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution shall provide a written summary that contains a summary of unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony (as those terms are defined in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D), respectively, of section 2(3) of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001(3)), based upon available information held by the Smithsonian Institution. The summary required under this section shall include, at a minimum, the information required under section 6 of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3004). "(b) REPATRIATION. —Where cultural affiliation of Native American unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony has been established in the summary prepared pursuant to subsection (a), or where a requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization can show cultural affiliation by a preponderance of the evidence based upon geographical, kinship, biological, archaeological, anthropological, linguistic, folkloric, oral traditional, historical, or other relevant information or expert opinion, then the Smithsonian Institution shall expeditiously return such unassociated funerary object, sacred object, or object of cultural patrimony where— "(1) the requesting party is the direct lineal descendant of an individual who owned the unassociated funerary object or sacred object; "(2) the requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization can show that the object was owned or controlled by the Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization; or "(3) the requesting Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization can show that the unassociated funerary object or sacred object was owned or controlled by a member thereof, provided that in the case where an unassociated funerary object or sacred object was owned by a member thereof, there are no identifiable lineal descendants of said member or the lineal descendants, upon notice, have failed to make a claim for the object. "(c) STANDARD OF REPATRIATION.— I f a known lineal descendant or an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization requests the return of Native American unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony pursuant to this Act and presents evidence which, if standing alone before the introduction of evidence to the contrary, would support a finding that the Smithsonian Institution did not have the right of possession, then the Smithsonian Institution shall return such objects unless it can overcome such inference and prove that it has a right of possession to the objects. "(d) MUSEUM OBLIGATION.—Any museum of the Smithsonian Institution which repatriates any item in good faith pursuant to this Act shall not be liable for claims by an aggrieved party or for claims of fiduciary duty, public trust, or violations of applicable law that are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act. "(e) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.— Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, with respect to any museum of the Smithsonian Institution,

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