[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34776-34777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16907]
[[Page 34776]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service, DOI
Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains
and Associated Funerary Objects in the Control of the Katmai National
Park and Preserve, National Park Service, Anchorage and King Salmon, AK
AGENCY: National Park Service, DOI.
ACTION: Notice.
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Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d), of
the completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary
objects in the control of the Katmai National Park and Preserve,
National Park Service, Anchorage and King Salmon, AK.
A detailed assessment was made by National Park Service
professional staff, in consultation with representatives of the
University of Oregon-Eugene, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and the
Council of Katmai Descendants. The Council of Katmai Descendants is a
non-Federally recognized Indian group representing the interests of the
Federally recognized Bristol Bay Native Corporation and includes
members of several Alaska Native villages and corporations in the
Naknek River drainage and Katmai coast areas.
Between 1960 and 1983, human remains representing 16 individuals
were recovered during legally authorized excavations at five sites
along the Brooks River. No known individuals were identified. No
associated funerary objects are present. Fourteen of these individuals
were found interred above a volcanic ash layer dated to 1050 AD and
beneath a volcanic ash layer dated at 1450 AD. These fourteen human
remains date between 1050 and 1450 AD. The remains of two individuals
were recovered from above the 1450 AD ash layer. The orientation of
these two individuals is similar to mortuary practices used prior to
contact with the Russians in 1778 AD. These two human remains were
probably buried between 1450 and 1778 AD. All sixteen individuals are
currently being curated at the Oregon State Museum of Anthropology at
the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR.
In 1982 and 1983, human remains representing three individuals were
recovered during legally authorized excavations at two previously
excavated sites along the Brooks River. No known individuals were
identified. The six funerary objects include a pumice stone, a piece of
otter fur, wood from a coffin lid, a copper piece, a stone tool, and a
charcoal sample. The human remains were recovered from above the 1050
AD volcanic ash layer. The orientation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects is similar to mortuary practices used prior
to contact with the Russians in 1778 AD. These human remains and six
associated funerary objects were probably buried between 1050 to 1778
AD. These two human remains and associated funerary objects are
currently being curated at the Museum at the University of Alaska-
Fairbanks.
Archeological evidence from these five sites in the Brooks River
area--such as continuities in mortuary practices and material culture--
suggests that the Brooks River inhabitants abandoned the area during
volcanic eruptions and later repopulated the area. Oral history from
nearby village residents support the affiliation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects from these five sites with modern day
Alutiiq peoples, including the villages of Chignik Bay, Chignik Lagoon,
Chignik Lake, Ivanoff, King Salmon, Naknek, Perryville, and South
Naknek.
Human remains representing a minimum of six individuals were
recovered from three sites along the Katmai Coast. All but one recovery
were legal excavations. Prior to 1954, the remains of one individual
were recovered from a housepit at Chiniak Lagoon, along the Shelikof
Straits. The remains of a second individual were recovered under
unknown circumstances from the same housepit site in 1963, possibly by
clam diggers. Radio carbon dates and analysis of the Chiniak Lagoon
site suggests an occupation date no earlier than 1100 AD. In 1965 the
human remains of one individual were recovered nearby at Kukak. This
site has been radio carbon dated to between 400 to 1280 AD. In 1965,
remains representing a minimum of three individuals were recovered from
a small island east of Takli Island and south of Amalik Bay. These
human remains are believed to post-date 1000 AD, due to the
stratigraphy from which they were recovered. No known individuals were
identified from any of the three sites. No associated funerary objects
are present. These human remains are currently being curated at the
Oregon State Museum of Anthropology at the University of Oregon in
Eugene, OR.
Archeological, linguistic, historical, and oral traditional
evidence indicate that the population of the Katmai Coast/Shelikof
Straits area was widely displaced in the prehistoric and historic
periods by volcanic eruptions. Descendants of the earlier population
are believed to reside in various villages on the Kodiak archipelago
and the Alaska peninsula, including South Naknek, King Salmon, Chignik
Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Karluk, Larsen Bay, Ouzinkie, Naknek, Chignik
Bay, Perryville, Ivanoff, Port Lions, Akhiok, and Old Harbor.
Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the National
Park Service have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10 (d)(1), the
human remains listed above represent the physical remains of 25
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the National Park
Service have also determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A),
the six items 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 National Park
Service 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 the human remains and funerary objects from the five sites
along the Brooks River and the native villages of Chignik Bay, Chignik
Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Ivanoff, King Salmon, Naknek, Perryville, and
South Naknek. Officials of the National Park Service have also
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), there is a
relationship of shared group identity which can be reasonably traced
between the human remains from Chiniak Lagoon, Kukak, and the small
island east of Takli Island and south of Amalik Bay and the native
villages of Akhiok, Chignik Bay, Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Lake, Ivanoff,
Karluk, King Salmon, Larsen Bay, Naknek, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie,
Perryville, Port Lions, and South Naknek.
This notice has been sent to officials of Council of Katmai
Descendants, on behalf of the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and
Kodiak Area Native Association on behalf of Koniag, Inc., as well as
the following Alaska Native villages and corporations: Native Village
of Akhiok and Akhiok-Kaguyak, Inc; Native Village of Chignik and Far
West, Incorporated; Native Village of Chignik Lagoon and Chignik Lagoon
Native Corporation; Chignik Lake Village and Chignik River LTD.;
Ivanoff Bay Village and Bay View Inc.; Native Village of Karluk
(I.R.A.); Native Village of Larsen Bay; Naknek Native Village and Paug-
Vik Incorporated, Ltd.; Village of Old Harbor and Old Harbor Native
Corporation; Ouzinkie Village and Ouzinkie Native Corporation; Native
Village of Perryville (I.R.A.) and
[[Page 34777]]
Oceanside Corporation; Native Village of Port Lions and Afgonak Native
Corporation; Shoonaq Tribe of Kodiak and Natives of Kodiak, Inc.; and
South Naknek Village and Alaska Peninsula Corporation.
Representatives of any other Alaska Native village or corporation
that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these human
remains and associated funerary objects should contact Bill Pierce,
Superintendent, Katmai National Park and Preserve, 4230 University
Drive, Suite 311, Anchorage, AK, 99508; telephone: (907) 271-3753,
before July 28, 1997. Repatriation of the human remains and associated
funerary objects to the Council of Katmai Descendants, on behalf of the
Bristol Bay Native Corporation, may begin after that date if no
additional claimants come forward.
Dated: June 16, 1997.
Veletta Canouts,
Acting Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Assistant Manager, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 97-16907 Filed 6-26-97; 8:45 am]
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