[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 181 (Monday, September 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58033-58034]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23978]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[2253-665]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Thomas Burke Memorial Washington
State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum (Burke
Museum), has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation
with the appropriate Indian Tribes, and has determined that there is a
cultural affiliation between the human remains and present-day Indian
Tribes. Representatives of any Indian Tribe that believes itself to be
culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Burke
Museum. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian Tribes stated
below may occur if no additional claimants come forward.
DATES: Representatives of any Indian Tribe that believes it has a
cultural affiliation with the human remains should contact the Burke
Museum at the address below by October 19, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box
353010, Seattle, WA 98195-3010, telephone (206) 685-3849.
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 Burke Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
The human remains were removed from the Congdon site (45-KL-41), in
Klickitat County, WA.
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 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 the Burke
[[Page 58034]]
Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives of the
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington;
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon;
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon;
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; and the
Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho (hereinafter ``The Tribes''). The Burke Museum
also consulted with the Wanapum Band, a non-Federally recognized Indian
group (hereinafter ``The Indian Group'').
History and Description of the Remains
Between 1955 and 1957, human remains were removed from the Congdon
site, in Klickitat County, WA, by a University of Washington field
party led by Mr. Robert B. Butler. The human remains were transferred
to the Burke Museum and formally accessioned in 1966 (Burke
Accn. 1966-100). In 1974, the Burke Museum legally transferred
portions of the human remains to Central Washington University. In
2007, a Notice of Inventory Completion (NIC) describing 91 individuals
and 1,049 associated funerary objects removed from the Congdon site was
published in the Federal Register [72 FR 29177-29178, May 24, 2007].
The Burke Museum and Central Washington University have jointly
repatriated all human remains and funerary objects from the Congdon
site described in the NIC.
In September 2010, human remains representing at least two
individuals were returned to the Burke Museum from the Washington State
Physical Anthropologist. These human remains had been turned over to
the New York State Police by a private citizen who stated they were
among the possessions of her deceased husband. She believed they had
been removed from a warehouse in south Seattle sometime before 2000.
The human remains have been determined to be from the Congdon site. The
remains of one individual were directly labeled with a Condgon site
number and the second individual was determined to be from the Congdon
site due to the color and appearance of the remains. The return of
these remains increases the original minimum number of individuals from
the site by two individuals. No known individuals were identified. No
associated funerary objects are present.
Published ethnographic documentation indicates that the Congdon
site is in the aboriginal territory of the Western Columbia River
Sahaptins, Wasco, Wishram, Yakima, Walla Walla, Umatilla, Tenino, and
Skin (Daugherty 1973, Hale 1841, Hunn and French 1998, Stern 1998,
French and French 1998, Mooney 1896, Murdock 1938, Ray 1936 and 1974,
Spier 1936), whose descendents are represented today by the
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington;
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon; and the
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon.
Furthermore, information provided during consultation indicates that
the aboriginal ancestors occupying this area were highly mobile, and
traveled widely across the landscape for gathering resources as well as
trade. Descendents of these Plateau communities are now widely
dispersed and enrolled in all of the above mentioned Tribal
communities, as well as the Confederated Tribes of the Colville
Reservation, Washington; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho, and the Wanapum Band,
a non-Federally recognized Indian group.
Determinations Made by the Burke Museum
Officials of the Burke Museum have determined that:
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice represent the physical remains of two individuals of
Native American ancestry.
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native
American human remains, The Tribes, and The Indian Group.
Additional Requestors and Disposition
Representatives of any Indian Tribe that believes itself to be
culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Peter Lape,
Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 35101, Seattle, WA 98195,
telephone (206) 685-3849, before October 19, 2011. Repatriation of the
human remains to The Tribes and The (joined) Indian Group may proceed
after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
The Burke Museum is responsible for notifying The Tribes and The
Indian Group that this notice has been published.
Dated: September 14, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-23978 Filed 9-16-11; 8:45 am]
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