[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 242 (Thursday, December 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69649-69650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33447]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains, 
Associated Funerary Objects, and Unassociated Funerary Objects from 
Wisconsin in the Possession of the Neville Public Museum of Brown 
County, Green Bay, WI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior

ACTION: Notice

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    Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 43 CFR 10.9, 
of the completion of an inventory of human remains and associated 
funerary objects from Wisconsin in the possession of the Neville Public 
Museum of Brown County, Green Bay, WI.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Neville 
Public Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives 
of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, 
and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.
    In 1940, human remains representing five individuals were recovered 
from Allouez, WI during road construction on the corner of S. Jackson 
and Derby Lane. Between 1940 and 1941, these human remains were donated 
to the Neville

[[Page 69650]]

Public Museum by Alex Gauthier and W.C. McClendon. No known individuals 
were identified. The seven associated funerary objects include one iron 
sickle blade, one iron 10-d nail section, one iron spike, two pieces of 
burned sandstone, and two non-human large mammal bones.
    Based on the associated funerary objects and the apparent age of 
the burials, these individuals have been identified as Native American 
from the Late Historic period. During the Late Historic period, the 
area of Allouez, WI was occupied primarily by the Menominee Indian 
Tribe.
    In 1941, human remains representing 22 individuals were recovered 
from the Gibson Rock Shelter, Brown County, WI by R.L. Hall, W. Wittry, 
and A. Linck. No accession records exist for these human remains, but 
they are believed to have been donated by R.L. Hall, W. Wittry, and A. 
Linck. No known individual were identified. The minimum of 16 
associated funerary objects include one antler point, one beveled bone 
knife, a shell bead, turtle plastron ``plaque'', non-human bones, one 
beaver incisor, one snail shell, one stick, and grit-tempered sherds, 
some of which form two Aztalan Collared vessels.
    Based on the associated funerary objects and apparent age of the 
burials, these individuals have been determined to be Native American. 
Based on the ceramic types, these burials are estimated to date to the 
Woodland period. Based on continuities of ceramics and occupation, some 
archeologists believe the ceramics are associated with ancestors of the 
Menominee. Although other archeologists believe the ceramics could be 
associated with the Ho-Chunk, the museum feels the evidence indicates a 
primarily Menominee cultural affiliation.
    In 1950, human remains representing 12 individuals were recovered 
from the Charles Grignon House, operated by the Outagamie County 
Historical Society, Outagamie County, WI during excavations. In 1953, 
these human remains were donated to the Neville Public Museum by 
William Wolf, then-curator of the Charles Grignon House. No known 
individuals were identified. The associated funerary objects were not 
donated to the Neville Public Museum. The Neville Public Museum feels 
that those objects and additional human remains are the responsibility 
of the Outagamie County Historical Society and will not attempt re-
constituting the collection for the purpose of repatriation.
    Based on analysis of the associated funerary objects, these 
individuals have been determined to be Native American from the Late 
Historic period. Historic documents (Bishop Kemper's 1834 tour) further 
establish an active Menominee cemetery at or very near this site.
    In 1980, human remains representing two individuals were recovered 
from an embankment in Green Bay, WI and donated to the Neville Public 
Museum by the City of Green Bay Police Department. No known individuals 
were identified. The 604 associated funerary objects include glass 
beads and small mammal bones.
    Based on the associated funerary objects and apparent age of the 
burials, these individuals have been determined to be Native American. 
Further, the presence of black seed beads suggests a Late Historic 
period date for the burials. During the Late Historic period, the area 
of Green Bay, WI was occupied primarily by the Menominee Indian Tribe.
    The 30 cultural items consist of a stone pipe bowl, six faceted 
(cut) blue beads, three dark red beads, four Madison points, two 
humpbacked knives, one side-notched point, one bifurcate-base point, 12 
faceted (cut) blue beads, and a string of tiny white and dark red 
beads.
    In 1923, Mr. Lisle Perizak donated the 12 faceted (cut) blue beads 
and the string of tiny white and dark red beads to the Neville Public 
Museum. In 1925 and 1935, Mr. J.P. Schumacher sold the remainder of the 
cultural items listed above to the Neville Public Museum.
    Museum records state that these 30 cultural items were all removed 
from burials in a mound in Green Bay, WI. Archeological records 
indicate that historic Menominee burials were located in this mound. 
The objects are being affiliated with the Menominee Tribe as they were 
all removed from a mound with historic Menominee burials.
    Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the Neville 
Public Museum have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the 
human remains listed above represent the physical remains of 31 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the Neville 
Public Museum have also determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 
(d)(2), the 627 objects listed above are reasonably believed to have 
been placed with or near individual human remains at the time of death 
or later as part of the death rite or ceremony. Officials of the 
Neville Public Museum have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 
(d)(2)(ii), these 30 cultural items are reasonably believed to have 
been placed with or near individual human remains at the time of death 
or later as part of the death rite or ceremony and are believed, by a 
preponderance of the evidence, to have been removed from a specific 
burial site of an Native American individual. Lastly, officials of the 
Neville Public Museum have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 
(e), there is a relationship of shared group identity which can be 
reasonably traced between these Native American human remains, 
associated funerary objects, and unassociated funerary objects and the 
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Ho-Chunk Nation of 
Wisconsin, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and the Menominee Indian 
Tribe of Wisconsin. Representatives of any other Indian tribe that 
believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these human remains 
and associated funerary objects should contact Ann Koski, Director, 
Neville Public Museum of Brown County, 210 Museum Place, Green Bay, WI 
54303; telephone: (920) 448-4460, before January 19, 1999. Repatriation 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Menominee 
Indian Tribe may begin after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
Dated: December 8, 1998.
Veletta Canouts,
Acting Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Deputy Manager, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 98-33447 Filed 12-16-98; 8:45 am]
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