[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 93 (Friday, May 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 28068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-11856]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Museum of 
Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of intent to 
repatriate cultural items in the possession of the Museum of 
Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, that meet the 
definition of unassociated funerary objects under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3). The 
determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the cultural 
items. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.
    In 1924, a collection containing human remains and a variety of 
archeological materials was purchased by the University of Michigan 
from Rev. L.P. Rowland of Detroit, MI. The human remains and many of 
the artifacts were recovered from the Lake Michigan shore area in Emmet 
County, MI. A substantial portion of this collection was determined to 
be culturally affiliated with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 
Indians, Michigan, and were repatriated after publication in the 
Federal Register (62 FR 8265-8266, February 24, 1997). Since that time, 
two additional individuals were found to have a Native American 
cultural identity with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan. These individuals were described in a Notice published in the 
Federal Register (74 FR 42094-42095, August 20, 2009), and subsequently 
repatriated. At that time, 14 pottery sherds that were unearthed by 
Rowland in the process of disinterring these human remains from the 
Wequetonsing area were not included as funerary objects. Archeological 
experts had identified the sherds as Mackinac Ware (800-1000 A.D.), 
which dated the pottery at least 1,000 years older than the burials. 
The age of the pottery makes the likelihood that they were fragments of 
a funerary object(s) deliberately placed with, or left for, these 
individuals somewhat doubtful. However, given that Rowland indicated 
that these sherds came from within a burial pit, and lacking the 
archeological context to make a more definitive determination, museum 
and tribal consultants have since agreed that the potsherds should 
accompany the repatriated human remains described in the August 20, 
2009, Notice. As such, these cultural items are now considered to be 
unassociated funerary objects.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Carla Sinopoli, Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, 
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079, telephone (734) 764-0485, before June 13, 
2011. Repatriation of the unassociated funerary objects to the Little 
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan, may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan is responsible 
for notifying the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan, 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: May 9, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-11856 Filed 5-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P