Under the provisions of the Nebraska Unmarked Human Skeletal Remains and Burial Goods Protection Act, when human skeletal remains and burial goods are discovered and law enforcement determines a crime is not involved, division staff will be contacted by the appropriate county attorney's office. Staff are required to conduct an onsite investigation to determine the origin and identity of the remains and promptly relate our finding in writing to the county attorney and interested parties, who may include: a descendant Indian Tribe, a descendant family, or the Nebraska Indian Commission. Field evaluations may consist of inspection of disinterred or intact remains or artifacts. Disinterred remains may be collected and turned over to descendent parties or the county attorney for reburial. Intact remains are to be left in place. The only specified exception to this procedure involves intact materials encountered during public highway, road, or street construction. These remains may be excavated and reinterred to allow continuation of construction.
Link to pertinent Nebraska Revised Statutes