[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 809-810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00062]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-19903; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
United States Forest Service, White River National Forest, Glenwood
Springs, CO
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service,
White River National Forest, has completed an inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the
appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has
determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human
remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian
organization. Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request
transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written
request to White River National Forest. If no additional requestors
come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated
funerary objects to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations
stated in this notice may proceed.
DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request
transfer of control of the human remains should submit a written
request with information in support of the request to White River
National Forest at the address in this notice by February 8, 2016.
[[Page 810]]
ADDRESSES: Mr. Scott Fitzwilliams, The White River National Forest, 900
Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, telephone (970) 945-2521.
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
control of the White River National Forest, Glenwood Springs, CO, and
in the custody of the Anasazi Heritage Center, Dolores, CO.
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 the White
River National Forest professional staff in consultation with
representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; the Kaibab Band of Paiute
Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Navajo Nation,
Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah; the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; the
Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of Southern
Ute Reservation, Colorado; the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray
Reservation, Utah; the Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah; and the Zuni Tribe of the
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. Hereafter all tribes listed above are
referred to as ``The Consulted and Invited Tribes.''
History and Description of the Remains
In 1998, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals
were delivered by a private citizen to the White River National Forest
office in Glenwood Springs, CO. The private citizen did not leave
personal information but did indicate that the human remains may have
originated from southeastern Utah. The human remains consisted of two
largely intact crania, and one mandible, likely associated with one of
the intact skulls. A separate plastic bag containing a soil matrix
(presumably from the site(s) of discovery), three disassociated teeth,
and one human bone fragment was also found in the box. It is unknown if
the bone fragment(s) and the dissociated teeth were part of the two
human skulls although both crania and the single mandible were missing
teeth. A cursory anatomical examination revealed the human remains were
Native American, one female and one male, both of adult age. The
colorations of the individual crania, along with associated soils,
suggested that they did not originate from the same site of discovery
or excavation. No craniometric examinations were made of the human
remains and no destructive (e.g., DNA) analyses were performed. No
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are
present.
Determinations Made by the White River National Forest, USDA:
Officials of the White River National Forest have determined that:
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice are Native American based on archeological context.
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice represent the physical remains of, at minimum, two
individuals of Native American ancestry.
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 lands from which the Native American human remains were
likely removed from one the aboriginal lands of The Consulted and
Invited Tribes.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the
human remains may be to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of the Ute Mountain
Ute Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah.
Additional Requestors and Disposition
Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization
not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control
of these human remains should submit a written request with information
in support of the request to Mr. Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor,
White River National Forest, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, telephone
(970) 945-3200, by February 8, 2016. After that date, if no additional
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains
to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation,
Colorado, New Mexico & Utah may proceed.
White River National Forest is responsible for notifying The
Consulted and Invited Tribes that his notice has published.
Dated: December 3, 2015.
Amberleigh Malone,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-00062 Filed 1-6-16; 8:45 am]
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