[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 185 (Wednesday, September 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49992-49993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25308]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
and Associated Funerary Objects from Lake Texoma, OK in the Possession 
of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, Tulsa, OK

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 from Lake Texoma, OK in the possession of 
the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, Tulsa, OK.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by U.S. Army 
Corps- Tulsa District professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.
    In 1971, human remains representing two individuals were exposed 
during a work project at site 34Jn30, Lake Texoma, Johnson County, OK 
and removed by University of Oklahoma staff. No known individuals were

[[Page 49993]]

identified. The 114 associated funerary objects included an iron 
padlock, a silver pendant, ceramics, glass seed beads, dark green glass 
sherds, animal bones, metal fragments, buttons, knife blades, a clay 
pipe, a screw, mussel shell, and stone flakes, however, these objects 
have not been located within the collections of the original curating 
institution, the University of Oklahoma.
    Morphological evidence based on shoveled incisors indicates these 
individuals are Native American. The recorded associated funerary 
objects indicate these burial date to between c.1850--1890 A.D. During 
this time, site 34JN30 was located within the exclusive territory of 
the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, and was allotted between 1901 and 
1906 to Mr. Bluford J. Greer and Ms. Sophia R. Arpealer, two Chickasaw 
citizens.
    During 1986-1987, human remains representing a minimum of four 
individuals were exposed by shoreline erosion at site 34MA15, Lake 
Texoma, Marshall County, OK and recovered by Army Corps-Tulsa District 
personnel. No known individuals were identified. The eleven associated 
funerary objects include three triangular-wire looped thumbscrews, one 
heart-shaped looped wire, one ribbon and bow decorative metal coffin 
hardware, one pair of decorative metal leaves coffin hardware, one 
decorative metal bird or flower hardware, and one metal coffin handle 
fragment with two screws.
    Based on the coffin hardware, these burials are estimated to date 
between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Morphological evidence, 
including curved femurs, indicates that three of these individuals are 
Native American. The fourth individual, a young adult woman found 
commingled with the remains of one of the Native American men, shows 
Caucasian facial morphology. Site 34Ma15 is located within an allotment 
held in the early 1900s by Mr. John Edward Mayo, Mr. William Phillip 
Mayo, and Mr. James D. Mayo, all of whom were Chickasaw citizens.
    Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District have determined that, pursuant 
to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the human remains listed above represent the 
physical remains of five individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District have also 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the eleven 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 U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Tulsa District 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 Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Chickasaw Nation of 
Oklahoma. Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes 
itself to be culturally affiliated with these human remains and 
associated funerary objects should contact Mr. Robert W. Jobson, NAGPRA 
Coordinator, Planning Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa 
district, P.O. Box 61, Tulsa, OK 74121-0061, telephone (918) 669-7193 , 
before October 24, 1997. Repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects to the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma may 
begin after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    Dated: September 16, 1997.
C. Timothy McKeown,
Acting Departmental Consulting Archeologist, Archeology and Ethnography 
Program.
[FR Doc. 97-25308 Filed 9-23-97; 8:45 am]
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