[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3944-3945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-2159]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
and Associated Funerary Objects in the Control of the Bureau of 
Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, Salt Lake City, UT

AGENCY: National Park Service

ACTION: Notice

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    Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection 
and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d), of the completion of an 
inventory for Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects from four sites in New Mexico currently in the control of the 
Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, Salt Lake City, 
UT.
    Under contract with the Bureau of Reclamation, a detailed inventory 
and assessment has been made by members of the professional staff of 
Southern Methodist University, where the remains and associated 
funerary objects were originally curated, the Museum of New Mexico, and 
the Utah Museum of Natural History in consultation with representatives 
of Nambe Pueblo. Meetings with representatives from Nambe Pueblo have 
been held at Nambe Pueblo on three occasions during 1994-95, in 
addition to many phone conversations during this period.
    During 1973-75, the National Park Service was contracting for the 
Bureau of Reclamation, who planned to build a dam and reservoir at 
Nambe Falls on tribal lands owned by Nambe Pueblo. Southern Methodist 
University, under contract with the National Park Service, Southwest 
Cultural Resource Center, Santa Fe, Contract #CX 700030194, conducted 
data recovery investigations at four sites around Nambe Falls under the 
authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Under 
agreement with the National Park Service, the collections resulting 
from this work were accessioned by Southern Methodist University. In 
1995, in consultation with representatives of Nambe Pueblo, the Bureau 
of Reclamation deaccessioned the collections from Southern Methodist 
University and transferred them to the Museum of New Mexico. 

[[Page 3945]]

    Human remains from Site X29SF17 consist of four individuals. Two 
adults and an infant were interred together just above the floor of the 
pithouse. One fragmentary scapula from a fourth individual, an older 
adult, was found nearby. No known individuals were identified. Cultural 
items associated with these burials were the remains of three dogs.
    Site X29SF17 consisted of three structures: a pithouse, an 
associated surface room block, and a fieldhouse. Cultural materials 
excavated from the site include stone tools and debris, ceramic sherds, 
manos and metates, and faunal remains. Based on ceramic seriation, 
archaeologists estimated that the site dates to the Developmental 
Period, ca. A.D. 900-1100.
    Human remains from Site X29SF7 include the extremely fragmentary 
remains of one individual. No known individuals were identified. No 
funerary objects were present.
    Site X29SF7 consists of a pueblo with 26 surface rooms and one 
kiva. Cultural materials excavated from the site include flaked stone 
tools and debris, ceramic sherds, pieces of ground stone, and faunal 
remains, including bone awls. Based on ceramic seriation, 
archaeologists estimated that the site dates to the Coalition Period, 
ca. A.D. 1200-1300.
    Human remains from Site X29SF10 consist of one tooth from 1 older 
adult individual. No known individuals were identified. No funerary 
objects were present.
    Site S29SF10 consisted of a pueblo with 32 surface rooms and one 
kiva. Cultural materials excavated from the same site includes flaked 
stone tools and debris, ceramic sherds, and pieces of ground stone. 
Based on ceramic seriation, archaeologists estimated that the site 
dates to the Coalition Period, ca. A.D. 1251-1269.
    Human remains from Site X29SF47, Agawano Ouinge, consist of one 
parietal fragment of one adult individual collected from the surface of 
the site. No known individuals were identified. No funerary objects 
were present.
    Site X29SF47 consists of a large adobe-walled pueblo with three 
room blocks arranged around a plaza and kiva depressions. Based on 
ceramic seriation of cultural material from the site, archaeologists 
estimated that the site dates to the Coalition/Classic Period, ca. A.D. 
1350-1425.
    All the human remains from these sites are identified as Puebloan, 
and all are believed to be ancestral to present day Nambe Pueblo people 
based on the archaeological context of their collection or excavation. 
All four sites are located near the Rio Nambe and Nambe Falls, 
approximately five miles from the present-day Nambe Pueblo, on Nambe 
Pueblo lands. The cultural affiliation of these individuals can be 
considered ancestral to the northern Rio Grande Pueblos based on the 
application of the Wendorf and Reed 1955 chronologic framework, as 
modified by Skinner et al 1980. Skinner et al concluded that the 
movement of Puebloan people into this area occurred sometime prior to 
A.D. 1200 and the population eventually was consolidated in the 
vicinity of the modern Nambe Pueblo.
    Based on the above-mentioned information from these four sites, the 
Bureau of Reclamation's Upper Colorado Regional Archaeologist has 
determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10 (d)(1), the human remains listed 
above represent the physical remains of seven individuals of Native 
American ancestry. The Bureau of Reclaimation's Upper Colorado Regional 
Archaeologist has also determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 
(3)(A), the remains of three dogs 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. Lastly, the 
Bureau of Reclamation's Upper Colorado Regional Archaeologist has 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), there is a 
relationship of shared group identity which can be reasonably traced 
between these human remains and Nambe Pueblo.
    This notice has been sent to the pueblos of Acoma, Cochiti, Hopi, 
Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Picuris, Pojoaque, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, 
San Juan, Sandia, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, 
Zia, and Zuni. Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes 
itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains should 
contact Dr. Signa Larralde, Regional Archaeologist, Upper Colorado 
Region, Bureau of Reclamation, 125 S. State St., Room 6107, Salt Lake 
City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone (801) 524-6292 #6 before March 4, 
1996. Repatriation of these human remains to Nambe Pueblo may begin 
after this date if no additional claimants come forward.
Dated: January 26, 1996

Veletta Canouts

Deputy Chief, Archeology and Ethnography Program

[FR Doc. 95-2159 Filed 2-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F