[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17959-17960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07435]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040028; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: California State University
Northridge, Northridge, CA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), California State University Northridge
(CSUN) has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined
that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains in this notice may occur on or
after May 30, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Dayle Bingham, NAGPRA Coordinator, CSUN1811 Nordoff Street,
Northridge, CA 91330, telephone (818) 677-6355, email
dayle.bingham@csun.edu.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA.
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the
CSUN, and additional information on the determinations in this notice,
including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or
related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the
determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Human remains representing, at least, 28 individuals have been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The individuals
were removed from the Vasquez Rocks (CA-LAN-361, CA-LAN-369, CA-LAN-
360, CA-LAN-373) sites in northern Los Angeles County, CA. These sites
were originally located on land owned by Dr. Ascher, where his family
regularly dug up cultural material throughout the mid-1900s. Further
vandalization occurred in 1966 where bulldozers were used through parts
of the sites. CSUN Archaeological Field School Director and Los Angeles
County Natural History Museum (LACNHM) curator Dr. Charles Rozaire held
field schools at these sites during the years 1967-1970. At these field
schools, students under supervision, excavated and removed cultural
items and ancestral human remains. Due to the history of vandalism and
previous amateur excavations conducted at these sites, the context of
the recovered cultural items and ancestral remains were unknown,
incomplete, or partially known and documented.
In 2012, CSUN Anthropology Graduate student Sebastian Cristobal
Garza conducted a bioarchaeological study of the ancestral remains
housed at CSUN excavated from CA-LAN-361. Between 2012-2018, further
bioarchaeological assessments were conducted to aid in the
identification of human remains within the faunal material excavated
from these Vasquez Rocks associated sites. The MNI for CA-LAN-361 is 20
individuals; three neonates (0-1 year), 11 children and adolescents (1-
19 years), and six adults (20+ years). MNI for CA-LAN-360 is one,
unknown age. MNI for CA-LAN-
[[Page 17960]]
369 is five, unknown ages. MNI for CA-LAN-373 is one, unknown age. All
human remains present are highly fragmented from previous vandalism
including bulldozing and looting, exposure to the elements, and
possible cremation heat exposure.
Archaeological evidence shows that Vasquez Rocks and associated
sites located in Agua Dulce (CA-LAN-361, CA-LAN-369, CA-LAN-360, CA-
LAN-373) were used as a cemetery complex between 2315 BCE-79 BCE
(Caruso 1988, Garza 2012, King et al. 1974). Research has shown that
Serrano and Tataviam peoples have continuously occupied the San Gabriel
Mountains and the surrounding areas for 5,000-6,000 years BP.
Linguistic evidence supports the notion of a continuous shared group
identity between those people using Vasquez Rocks roughly 3000 years
ago and modern Native Americans of Serrano and Tataviam descent. Using
ethnographic evidence and Traditional Knowledge, the Serrano and
Tataviam peoples have known the area of the Agua Dulce region as a part
of their homeland since time immemorial.
Human remains representing, at least, one individual has been
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The individual
was removed from Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes School, Lake Hughes, Los
Angeles County, CA. This was originally identified as a human bone
fragment during an archaeological salvage and survey excavation in 1969
by Herrick Hanks and L. Hubernack on behalf of California State
University Northridge Archaeological Research Center at the time. Since
then, this human bone fragment has been stored on campus and confirmed
to be human. No other human remains are present from this salvage
survey excavation.
This excavation, as noted, was salvage survey work for Hughes-
Elizabeth Lakes School, Lake Hughes in Los Angeles County, where
construction on school grounds was already underway. According to
reports, bulldozers on site uncovered archaeological material near
school building, and Herrick Hanks and L. Hubernack from CSUN were
called upon to assist. Since being brought back to CSUN campus in 1969
for storage, no further research or archaeological assessments have
been conducted.
Using archaeological and geographical information, the human
remains are determined to be Native American. Archaeologists have
asserted that Serrano and Tataviam peoples have continuously occupied
the areas surrounding the Antelope Valley as well as the San Gabriel
Mountains for 5,000-6,000 years BP. Serrano Traditional Knowledge
identifies Lake Hughes as home to Serrano peoples since time
immemorial.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical
location or acquisition history of the human remains described in this
notice.
Determinations
The CSUN has determined that:
The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 28 individuals of Native American ancestry.
There is a connection between the human remains described
in this notice and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California and
the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (previously listed as San Manuel
Band of Mission Indians, California).
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains in this
notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified in this
notice under ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal
descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with
cultural affiliation.
Repatriation of the human remains described in this notice to a
requestor may occur on or after May 30, 2025. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the CSUN must determine the most appropriate
requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the
human remains are considered a single request and not competing
requests. The CSUN is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to
the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this
notice.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: April 15, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-07435 Filed 4-29-25; 8:45 am]
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