[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19940-19942]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10647]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains
in the Possession of the National Park Service, Great Basin National
Park, Baker, NV
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 43 CFR 10.9
(e), of the completion of an inventory of human remains in the
possession of the
[[Page 19941]]
National Park Service, Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV.
A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by National
Park Service professional staff in consultation with the Confederated
Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the
Duckwater Reservation, Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada, Paiute Indian
Tribe of Utah, and Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians.
The following Indian tribes were also contacted but declined to
participate in face-to-face consultation: Big Pine Band of Owens Valley
Paiute Shoshone Indians, Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California,
Burns Paiute Tribe of the Burns Paiute Indian Colony, Chemehuevi Indian
Tribe, Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California, Fort Bidwell
Indian Community of Paiute Indians, Fort Independence Indian Community
of Paiute Indians, Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, Kaibab
Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las
Vegas Indian Colony, Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian
Community, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, Northwestern Band of Shoshoni
Nation of Utah (Washakie), Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop
Community, Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community, Paiute-
Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Pyramid Lake
Paiute Tribe, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe
of Arizona, Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of
the Duck Valley Reservation, Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada,
Susanville Indian Rancheria of Paiute, Maidu, Pit River & Washoe
Indians, Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians (Battle Mountain,
Elko, South Fork, and Wells Indian Colony Bands), Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute
Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation, Walker River Paiute Tribe,
Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California (Carson Colony, Dresslerville &
Washoe Ranches), Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony &
Campbell Ranch, and Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
In 1937, 1938, and 1963, a total of 110 skeletal elements were
recovered from Lehman Cave, located within park boundaries, during
legally authorized National Park Service or contracted excavations. The
skeletal elements were found scattered in various soil levels. Non-
destructive physical anthropological assessments and measurements of
the skeletal elements identified a minimum of 21 individuals. Eleven of
the 110 skeletal elements were identified as Native American. The
skeletal elements yielded no evidence of any other biological
affiliation. No known individuals were identified. No associated
funerary objects were present. Charcoal from two hearths in the cave
yielded radiocarbon dates between AD 1700-present. Sixteen stone and
wooden artifacts collected during the excavations are consistent with
items found at several Shoshonean post-AD 1100 open sites elsewhere in
the park. Based on this evidence, the human remains appear to date from
the middle of the precontact period to early contact period (ca. AD
1100-1930).
Stylistic continuities in pottery, projectile points, petroglyphs,
and basketry indicates Shoshonean occupation of the park area from
approximately AD 1100 to the present. Ethnographic documentation, as
well as archeological evidence from the area around Great Basin
National Park, show that Southern Paiute are found in the area no
earlier than AD 1000 and have a continuing presence up to the present
time. Oral histories presented by tribal representatives of the
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Ely Shoshone Tribe, and
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah confirm the archeological inference.
Published sources also document historic Goshute use of another nearby
cave for burial purposes. Present-day Shoshone, Southern Paiute, and
Goshute tribes include: Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone
Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Death Valley
Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the
Duckwater Reservation, Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada, Fort McDermitt
Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas
Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Moapa Band of
Paiute Indians, Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah
(Washakie), Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the
Bishop Community, Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community,
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, San Juan
Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona, Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River
Reservation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation,
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Skull Valley
Band of Goshute Indians, Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians
(Battle Mountain, Elko, South Fork, and Wells Indian Colony Bands), and
Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the National
Park Service have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the
human remains listed above represent the physical remains of at least
21 individuals of Native American ancestry. 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 these Native American human remains and the
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Duckwater Shoshone
Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada,
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the
Las Vegas Indian Colony, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, Paiute Indian
Tribe of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona, Skull Valley
Band of Goshute Indians, Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone
Indians, Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California, Fort
McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, Northwestern Band of Shoshoni
Nation of Utah (Washakie), Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop
Community, Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community, Paiute-
Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Shoshone Tribe of
the Wind River Reservation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall
Reservation, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Te-
Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians (Battle Mountain, Elko, South
Fork, and Wells Indian Colony Bands), and Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
This notice has been sent to officials of the Big Pine Band of
Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians, Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony
of California, Burns Paiute Tribe of the Burns Paiute Indian Colony,
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Goshute
Reservation, Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California,
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, Ely Shoshone
Tribe of Nevada, Fort Bidwell Indian Community of Paiute Indians, Fort
Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians, Fort McDermitt Paiute
and Shoshone Tribes, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Tribe of
Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Lovelock Paiute Tribe of
the Lovelock Indian Community, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians,
Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie), Paiute Indian
Tribe of Utah, Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community, Paiute-
Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community, Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of
the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Reno-
Sparks Indian
[[Page 19942]]
Colony, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona, Shoshone Tribe of
the Wind River Reservation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall
Reservation, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation,
Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah, Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
of Nevada, Susanville Indian Rancheria of Paiute, Maidu, Pit River &
Washoe Indians, Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians (Battle
Mountain, Elko, South Fork, and Wells Indian Colony Bands), Utu Utu
Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation, Walker River
Paiute Tribe, Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California (Carson Colony,
Dresslerville & Washoe Ranches), Yerington Paiute Tribe of the
Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch, and Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be
culturally affiliated with these human remains and associated funerary
objects should contact Rebecca Mills, Superintendent, Great Basin
National Park, Baker, NV; telephone: (702) 324-7331, before May 22,
1998. Repatriation of the human remains to the Confederated Tribes of
the Goshute Reservation, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater
Reservation, Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada, Kaibab Band of Paiute
Indians, Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians, Moapa Band of Paiute
Indians, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of
Arizona, Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians, Big Pine Band of Owens
Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians, Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of
California, Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes, Northwestern
Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie), Paiute-Shoshone Indians of
the Bishop Community, Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine
Community, Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony,
Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
of the Fort Hall Reservation, Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley
Reservation, Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians (Battle
Mountain, Elko, South Fork, and Wells Indian Colony Bands), and Yomba
Shoshone Tribe may begin after that date if no additional claimants
come forward.
Dated: April 16, 1998.
Francis P. McManamon,
Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Manager, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 98-10647 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F