[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 58 (Monday, March 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12096-12097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7051]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items in the Possession 
of the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

AGENCY: National Park Service

ACTION: Notice

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[[Page 12097]]


    Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection 
and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3005 (a)(2), of the intent to 
repatriate cultural items in the possession of the Science Museum of 
Minnesota, St. Paul, MN which meet the definition of ``sacred object'' 
and ``object of cultural patrimony'' as defined in Section 2 of the 
Act.
    Between 1963 and 1977, the Science Museum of Minnesota accessioned 
eight carved wooden masks and one cornhusk mask into its collections.
    In 1963, the Science Museum purchased two masks from W.G. Spittal. 
One mask is a woven cornhusk mask. The second mask is black-painted 
basswood in an elongated oval shape, with a carved face, horsetail 
hair, and copper eye plates. The cornhusk mask was made by an Onondaga 
Nation member, and the basswood mask was made by a Cayuga Nation 
member. Both of these masks were made at the Six Nations Reserve, 
Ontario, Canada.
    In 1977, the Science Museum purchased seven masks from W. Bailey. 
The first mask is dark brown- stained wood in an elongated oval shape, 
horsetail hair, carved face, and copper eye plates. Information with 
this mask indicates it was made by the Seneca. The second mask is red-
painted wood in an elongated oval shape, carved face, horsetail hair, 
and white eye plates. The third mask is black-painted wood in an 
elongated oval shape, carved face, horsetail hair, and tin eye plates. 
The fourth mask is black-painted wood in a narrowed oval shape, carved 
face, horsetail hair, and copper eye plates. The fifth mask is red-
painted wood in an elongated oval shape, carved face, horsetail hair, 
and white eye plates. The sixth mask is red painted wood in a narrowed 
oval shape, horsetail hair, and white eye plates. The seventh mask is 
black-painted wood in an oval shape, carved face, horsetail hair, and 
white eye plates.
    Consultation was conducted with representatives of the 
Haudenosaunee Standing Committee on Burial Rules and Regulations 
representing the Cayuga Nation, the Mohawk Nation, the Onondaga Nation, 
the Seneca Nation of Indians, the Tonawanda Band of Seneca, and the 
Tuscarora Nation. Consultation was also conducted with representatives 
of the Oneida Nation of New York, the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, and 
the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma.
    Consultation evidence indicates these items are medicine or false 
face masks. Such masks represent the power of particular medicine 
beings. Representatives of the Haudenosaunee Standing Committee on 
Burial Rules and Regulations affirm that these false face masks are 
needed by the traditional religious leaders of all the nations of the 
Iroquois Confederacy for the practice of traditional ceremonies by 
present-day adherents. Representatives of the Haudenosaunee Standing 
Committee on Burial Rules and Regulations have indicated that false 
face masks are owned collectively by the members of the False Face 
Society common to all nations of the Iroquois Confederacy and no 
individual had the right to sell or otherwise alienate the masks.
    Consultation, anthropological literature, and ethnographic evidence 
all indicate these masks are used by a traditional religious society 
(the False Face Society) common to all nations of the Iroquois 
Confederacy. With the exception of the one mask known to be Cayuga, the 
one mask known to be Onondaga, and the mask noted as Seneca, these 
masks are common to all extant False Face Societies.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the Science 
Museum of Minnesota have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 
3001(3)(C), the nine masks are specific ceremonial objects which are 
needed by traditional Native American religious leaders for the 
practice of traditional Native American religions by their present day 
adherents. Officials of the Science Museum of Minnesota have also 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(D), the nine masks have 
ongoing historical, traditional, and cultural importance central to the 
Native American group or culture itself, rather than property owned by 
an individual Native American, and which, therefore, could not be 
alienated, appropriated, or conveyed by any individual. Finally, 
officials of the Science Museum of Minnesota have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of shared group 
identity with can be reasonably traced between these items and the 
Cayuga Nation, the Mohawk Nation, the Onondaga Nation, the Seneca 
Nation of Indians, the Tonawanda Band of Seneca, and the Tuscarora 
Nation, the Oneida Nation of New York, the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, 
the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma.
    This notice has been sent to representatives of the Haudenosaunee 
Standing Committee on Burial Rules and Regulations, the Cayuga Nation, 
the Mohawk Nation, the Onondaga Nation, the Seneca Nation of Indians, 
the Tonawanda Band of Seneca, and the Tuscarora Nation, the Oneida 
Nation of New York, the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, the Seneca-Cayuga 
Tribe of Oklahoma. Representatives of any other Indian tribe which 
believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these objects should 
contact Ms. Faith G. Bad Bear, NAGPRA Project Manager, Science Museum 
of Minnesota, 30 East 10th Street, St. Paul, MN 55101, telephone (612) 
221-9432 before April 24, 1996. Repatriation of these objects to the 
Haudenosaunee Standing Committee on Burial Rules and Regulations, 
representing the interests of the Cayuga Nation, the Mohawk Nation, the 
Onondaga Nation, the Seneca Nation of Indians, the Tonawanda Band of 
Seneca, and the Tuscarora Nation may begin after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
Dated: March 19, 1996
Francis P. McManamon
Departmental Consulting Archeologist
Chief, Archeology and Ethnography Program
[FR Doc. 96-7051 Filed 3-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F