[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 168 (Friday, August 29, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45873-45874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23108]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains, 
Associated Funerary Objects, and Unassociated Funerary Objects from the 
Vicinity of Cronise Basin, San Bernardino County, CA in the Possession 
of the California State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Sacramento, 
CA

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, 
associated funerary objects, and unassociated funerary objects from the 
vicinity of Cronise Basin, San Bernardino County, CA in the possession 
of the California State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Sacramento, 
CA.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Bureau of 
Land Management and San Diego Museum of Man professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the San Manuel Band of Mission 
Indians.
    In 1928, human remains representing three individuals were 
recovered from site M-2 along the shoreline of Cronise Basin, San 
Bernardino County, CA during legally authorized excavations by Malcolm 
Rogers, San Diego Museum of Man. No known individuals were identified. 
The 99 associated funerary objects include projectile points, a stone 
knife, shell beads, a bone awl fragment, a bird bone whistle fragment, 
shell pendants, pottery sherds, burnt faunal material, and burnt 
cordage.
    In 1931, human remains representing five individuals were recovered 
from site M-4 along the shoreline of Cronise Basin, San Bernardino 
County, CA during legally authorized excavations by Malcolm Rogers, San 
Diego Museum of Man. No known individuals were identified. The 145 
associated funerary objects include flaked stone knives, projectile 
points, vesicular basalt abrader and smoothers, bone awls, bone 
pressure flaker, ceramic vessels and sherds, shell beads, shell 
ornaments, burnt faunal remains, cordage and net,

[[Page 45874]]

stone arrow shaft straightener, obsidian nodules, quartz nodule, and 
ochre.
    In 1932, human remains representing two individuals were recovered 
from site M-5 along the shoreline of Cronise Basin, San Bernardino 
County, CA during legally authorized excavations by Malcolm Rogers, San 
Diego Museum of Man. No known individuals were identified. The six 
associated funerary objects include shell beads, a clam shell fragment, 
and burnt faunal material.
    In 1932, human remains representing one individual were recovered 
from site M-10 along the shoreline of Cronise Basin, San Bernardino 
County, CA during legally authorized excavations by Malcolm Rogers, San 
Diego Museum of Man. No known individuals were identified. The five 
associated funerary objects include shell beads, a biconically drilled 
stone tube, ochre, and a projectile point.
    The eighteen cultural items include ceramic vessels, sherds, a bone 
tube, shell beads, projectile points, an olivella bead, limpet shell 
bead, and a chipped stone knife. Between 1928 and 1932, these cultural 
items were recovered from disturbed cremations at Cronise Basin sites 
M-1, M-10, M-13, and M-14 during legally authorized excavations by 
Malcomb Rogers of the San Diego Museum of Man. The human remains with 
these items were not collected.
    Based on the common occurrence of brown and buff ware ceramics, 
type of projectile points, and presence of shell beads from the 
southern coastal California area, these human remains may be dated to 
the Shoshonean Period of this area, c. 1550-1650 A.D. Archeological 
evidence indicates a clear continuity between the cultures present in 
this area during this period and the Serrano and Vanyume peoples 
present in the area at the time of European contact as noted in Spanish 
exploration documents. Oral tradition evidence presented by 
representatives of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians indicates 
this area is recognized as the ancestral homeland.
    Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the Bureau 
of Land Management have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 
(d)(1), the human remains listed above represent the physical remains 
of twelve individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the 
Bureau of Land Management have also determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 255 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. 
Officials of the Bureau of Land Management have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), these eighteen cultural items 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the evidence, to have 
been removed from a specific burial site of an Native American 
individual. Lastly, officials of the Bureau of Land Management 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, associated funerary 
objects, and unassociated funerary objects and the San Manuel Band of 
Mission Indians.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the San Manuel Band of 
Mission Indians. Representatives of any other Indian tribe that 
believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these human remains, 
associated funerary objects, and unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Russell Kaldenberg, Cultural Program Lead, Division of 
Ecosystems Sciences and Lands, California State Office, Bureau of Land 
Management, 2135 Butano Drive, Sacramento, CA 95825; telephone: (916) 
979-2840, before September 29, 1997. Repatriation of the human remains, 
associated funerary objects, and unassociated funerary objects to the 
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians may begin after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
Dated: August 25, 1997.
Francis P. McManamon,
Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Manager, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 97-23108 Filed 8-28-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F