[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]



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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

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 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]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F