[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 32857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16091]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains
and Associated Funerary Objects from Nye County, NV, in the Control of
the Nevada Test Site, Nevada Operations Office, Department of Energy,
Las Vegas, NV
AGENCY: National Park Service
ACTION: Notice
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Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C.
3003 (d), of the completion of an inventory of human remains and
associated funerary objects in the control of the Nevada Test Site,
Nevada Operations Office, Department of Energy, Las Vegas, NV.
A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by DOE Nevada
Test Site professional staff and Nevada State Museum professional staff
in consultation with representatives of the Benton Paiute Tribe, Big
Pine Paiute Tribe, Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute Tribe,
the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, the Ely
Shoshone Tribe, the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute
Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the
Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe
of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe. The
Pahrump Paiute Indian Tribe, the Las Vegas Indian Center and Owens
Valley Board of Trustees, three non-Federally recognized Native
American groups, were also consulted.
In 1964, human remains representing one individual was donated to
the Nevada State Museum by Frederick C. Worman, Los Alamos Scientific
Laboratory. These human remains were recovered from the Pahute Mesa
area within the Nevada Test Site by workers at the site and turned over
to the Nye County Sheriff's office. No known individuals were
identified. The 1,318 associated funerary objects include basketry
fragments, a chert flake, glass seed beads, two quartz crystals, and
unworked bone.
Archeological surveys on and around Pahute Mesa have identified
numerous archeological sites reflecting activities of Shoshone/Paiute
family groups. Additional ethnographic work and archeological
reconstructions have shown at least eight Shoshone/Paiute family groups
residing in the Pahute Mesa region during the late nineteenth century.
The basketry fragments found with the burials are consistent with other
Shoshone/Paiute basketry found in other archeological sites in the
Pahute Mesa region. Consultation with traditional religious leaders and
tribal representatives confirms the talus burials are a traditional
manner of internment. Consultation evidence presented by traditional
religious leaders and tribal representatives also indicates the
funerary objects are consistent with traditional burial practices.
Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the Nevada
Test Site, Nevada Operations Office, Department of Energy have
determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the human remains
listed above represent the physical remains of one individual of Native
American ancestry. Officials of the Nevada Test Site, Nevada Operations
Office, Department of Energy have also determined that, pursuant to 25
U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 1,318 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.
Lastly, officials of the Nevada Test Site, Nevada Operations Office,
Department of Energy have 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 Native American human remains and
associated funerary objects and the Benton Paiute Tribe, Big Pine
Paiute Tribe, Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute Tribe, the
Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, the Ely
Shoshone Tribe, the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute
Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the
Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe
of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
This notice has been sent to officials of the Benton Paiute Tribe,
Big Pine Paiute Tribe, Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute
Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe,
the Ely Shoshone Tribe, the Fort Independence Indian Community of
Paiute Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe,
the Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian
Tribe of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone
Tribe; and the Pahrump Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Indian Center, and
Owens Valley Board of Trustees, three Native American groups.
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be
culturally affiliated with these human remains and associated funerary
objects should contact Robert C. Furlow, NAGPRA Compliance Program
Manager, Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, P.O. Box
98518, Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518; telephone: (702) 295-0845, before July
25, 1996. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects to the Benton Paiute Tribe, Big Pine Paiute Tribe, Bishop
Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute Tribe, the Colorado River Indian
Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, the Ely Shoshone Tribe, the Fort
Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute
Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa
Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone
Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe may begin after that date if no
additional claimants come forward.
Dated: June 19, 1996.
Francis P. McManamon,
Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Chief, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 96-16091 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
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