[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 140 (Thursday, July 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43710-43712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18344]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[2253-665]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Slater Museum of Natural History,
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget
Sound has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with
the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no
cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day
Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself
to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the
Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound.
Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may
occur if no additional requestors come forward.
[[Page 43711]]
DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes it has a
cultural affiliation with the human remains should contact the Slater
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound at the address
below by August 22, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Peter Wimberger, Slater Museum of Natural History,
University of Puget Sound, 1500 North Warner St., Tacoma, WA 98416-
1088, telephone (253) 879-2784.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25
U.S.C. 3003, of the completion of an inventory of human remains in the
possession of the Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget
Sound, Tacoma, WA. The human remains were removed from ``Western
Washington.''
This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and
43 CFR 10.11(d). The determinations in this notice are the sole
responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has
control of the Native American human remains. The National Park Service
is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Slater
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound professional staff
in consultation with representatives of the Confederated Tribes and
Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the
Chehalis Reservation, Washington; Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Washington; Hoh
Indian Tribe of the Hoh Indian Reservation, Washington; Jamestown
S'Klallam Tribe of Washington; Lower Elwha Tribal Community of the
Lower Elwha Reservation, Washington; Lummi Tribe of the Lummi
Reservation, Washington; Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian
Reservation, Washington; Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot
Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually
Reservation, Washington; Nooksack Indian Tribe of Washington; Port
Gamble Indian Community of the Port Gamble Reservation, Washington;
Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington; Quileute Tribe
of the Quileute Reservation, Washington; Quinault Tribe of the Quinault
Reservation, Washington; Samish Indian Tribe, Washington; Sauk-Suiattle
Indian Tribe of Washington; Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay
Indian Reservation, Washington; Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish
Reservation, Washington; Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington; Squaxin Island
Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington; Stillaguamish
Tribe of Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison
Reservation, Washington; Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish
Reservation, Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation,
Washington; and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington
(hereinafter referred to as ``The Tribes''). In addition, the Slater
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound professional staff
consulted with the following non-Federally recognized Indian groups:
Chinook Tribe, Duwamish Tribe, Kikiallus Nation, Marietta Band of
Nooksack Indians, Snohomish Tribe, Snoqualmoo Tribe, and Steilacoom
Indian Tribe (hereinafter referred to as ``The Indian Groups''). The
Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound received
responses from the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation,
Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington;
Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington; and
the Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington.
Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington
requested a status report on the disposition of the remains, but made
no claim for disposition. The Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup
Reservation, Washington, and Confederated Tribes and Bands of the
Yakama Nation, Washington, submitted a NAGPRA claim for the individual
described in this Notice of Inventory Completion. The Squaxin Island
Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington, supported the
disposition of the individual to these two Indian tribes.
History and Description of the Remains
At an unknown date prior to 1970, human remains representing a
minimum of one individual were removed from ``Western Washington.'' The
remains were stored at the University of Puget Sound's Department of
Comparative Sociology since at least the 1970s. In late Fall 2006 the
remains were transferred to the Slater Museum by University staff.
There is no record of the excavator, donor, date of removal, or exact
provenience, except for ``Western Washington.'' No known individual was
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
Elements present include a cranium and a mandible. No cranial
deformation is present and the mandible is missing five teeth
postmortem. The remains are overall very clean and of a dark mottled
coloration. Small roots are present in the nasal cavity and sediments
are found endocranially, suggesting the individual was likely removed
from an archeological context. Slight cortical exfoliation is present
on both the cranium and mandible, indicating the individual was buried
in a taphonomic environment characterized by alternating dry and wet
conditions. Based on 14 morphological characteristics, a physical
anthropologist determined the remains represent a (possibly) male
individual 40-60 years old and of Native American ancestry (Gill 1998;
Rhine 1990). Additionally, the very even and severe enamel wear
indicate the mastication of population-specific coarse foods that
characterized the diets of pre-contact and post-contact Native American
populations (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994). These characteristics, in
addition to the Slater Museum's limited information, indicate that the
individual is of Native American ancestry. The remains may have been
removed from any location within Western Washington, which is
considered by the Museum to include the 19 counties located between the
Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains. These include: Clallam, Clark,
Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason,
Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston,
Wahkiakum, and Whatcom Counties.
Determinations Made by the Slater Museum of Natural History, University
of Puget Sound
Officials of the Slater Museum of Natural History, University of
Puget Sound have determined that:
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American
human remains and any present-day Indian tribe.
According to final judgments of the Indian Claims
Commission, the land from which the Native American human remains were
removed is the aboriginal land of The Tribes.
Multiple lines of evidence, including treaties, Acts of
Congress, and Executive Orders, indicate that the land from which the
Native American human remains were removed is the aboriginal land of
The Tribes and The Indian Groups.
Other credible lines of evidence, indicate that the land
from which the Native American human remains were removed is the
aboriginal land of The Tribes and The Indian Groups.
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
above
[[Page 43712]]
represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American
ancestry.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the
human remains is to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama
Nation, Washington, and Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation,
Washington.
Additional Requestors and Disposition
Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be
culturally affiliated with the human remains or any other Indian tribe
that believes it satisfies the criteria in 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1) should
contact Peter Wimberger, Slater Museum of Natural History, University
of Puget Sound, 1500 North Warner St., Tacoma, WA 98416-1088, telephone
(253) 879-2784, before August 22, 2011. Disposition of the human
remains to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation,
Washington, and Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington,
may proceed after that date if no additional requestors come forward.
The Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound is
responsible for notifying The Tribes and The Indian Groups that this
notice has been published.
Dated: July 14, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-18344 Filed 7-20-11; 8:45 am]
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