[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-13168]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 31, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

 

Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items in the Possession 
of the Nebraska State Historical Society

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior

ACTION:  Notice

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    Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection 
and Repatriation Act of 1990 of the intent to repatriate cultural items 
in the possession of the Nebraska State Historical Society that meet 
the definition of ``unassociated funerary objects'' under section 2 of 
the Act.
    The 31,651 unassociated funerary objects were recovered from 
fourteen archeological sites located in Butler (25BU1, 25BU4), Hamilton 
(25HM2), Howard (25HW1, 25HW3, 25HW5), Nance (25NC1, 25NC3, 25NC7, 
25NC11, 25NC20), Polk (25PK1), Platte (25PT1), and Webster (25WT1) 
Counties in east-central Nebraska. Objects include abraders, animal 
bones, arrow points (metal and stone), beads (glass and shell), bells, 
bracelets, bridle bits, buttons (glass, metal, and shell), cradle board 
fragments, coins (American and Spanish), cups, ear bobs, fabric, felt, 
files, fire steels, flints, glass, gun parts, hide, hoes, knives, 
leather, matting, medals, metal, a mirror frame, paint, pebbles, 
pigment, pipes, pottery sherds, projectile points, rings, scrapers, 
seeds, shells, spoons, spurs, stones, thimbles, vegetal material, 
whetstones, and wood. All of the objects are believed to have been 
intentionally placed with or near individual Native American human 
remains as part of a death rite or ceremony. The individual human 
remains are not in the possession of the Nebraska State Historical 
Society either because they were not collected during excavation or 
because they were previously repatriated by the Nebraska State 
Historical Society to the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma in 1990 and 1991.
    The sites represent three cultural phases: Pawnee Phase (1750-
1876), Lower Loup Phase (1600-1750), and Itskari Phase (1000-1350). 
Pawnee Phase sites were identified on the basis of historic written 
records. Lower Loup Phase sites were identified on the basis of 
material cultural continuities with Pawnee Phase sites. Itskari Phase 
sites were identified on the basis of geographical coincidence with 
Lower Loup and Pawnee Phase sites.
    On February 1, 1994, the Nebraska State Historical Society agreed 
to repatriate the above mentioned unassociated funerary objects to the 
Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Representatives of any other Indian tribe 
that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these objects 
should contact Gail DeBuse Potter, Museum Curator, Nebraska State 
Historical Society, P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln NE 68501, telephone: (402) 
471-4759, fax: (402) 471-3314, within [45 days after publication of 
this notice]. Repatriation of the objects to the Pawnee Tribe of 
Oklahoma may begin after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
Dated:
Dr. Francis P. McManamon
Departmental Consulting ArcheologistChief, Archeological Assistance 
Division
[FR Doc. 94-13168 Filed 5-27-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F