[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 242 (Thursday, December 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69648-69649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33446]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
from Nance County, NE in the Possession of the Nebraska State 
Historical Society, Lincoln, NE

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 (NAGPRA), 43 CFR 10.9, 
of the completion of an inventory of human remains from Nance County, 
NE in the possession of the Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, 
NE.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Nebraska 
State Historical Society professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of 
Minnesota (Prior Lake), Lower Sioux Indian Community of Minnesota 
Mdewakanton Sioux Indians of the Lower Sioux Reservation in Minnesota, 
Upper Sioux Indian Community of the Upper Sioux Reservation, Minnesota, 
Prairie Island Indian Community of Minnesota Mdewakanton Sioux Indians 
of the Prairie Island Reservation, Minnesota, Spirit Lake Tribe, North 
Dakota (formerly known as the Devils Lake Sioux Tribe), Standing Rock 
Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota, Santee Sioux Tribe of the Santee 
Reservation of Nebraska, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek 
reservation, South Dakota, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne 
River Reservation, South Dakota, Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, 
Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, Lower 
Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota, Rosebud 
Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, Sisseton-
Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of the Lake Traverse Reservation, South Dakota, 
Flandreau Santee Tribe of South Dakota, Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine 
Ridge Reservation, and Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck 
Indian Reservation, Montana.
    In 1901, human remains representing one individual were loaned to 
the Nebraska State Historical Society by J.R. Coffin as part of a 
collection of ethnographic materials. In 1996 Mr. Coffin's heirs 
relinquished legal title to all human remains in the collection. No 
known individual was identified. Two earbobs are attached to these 
human remains.
    The ethnographic collection containing these human remains was 
placed on loan to the Nebraska State Historical Society with a specific 
agreement signed by Mr. Coffin and representatives of the Nebraska 
State Historical Society. The human remains are listed in the 1901 loan 
agreement as ``C109, remnants of a Sioux who was cut up by the 
Pawnee.'' Mr. Coffin witnessed the killing of this Sioux man at the 
hands of the Pawnee which occurred sometime in the 1870s near the 
present-day city of Genoa in Nance County, NE. Consultation with the 
Rosebud Sioux presented the following information: Members of Spotted 
Tail's band from the Whetstone Agency raided the Pawnee villages near 
Genoa, NE. On October 6, 1870, one of the Sioux raiders was killed by 
the Pawnee. Descendants of Spotted Tail's people are today members of 
the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South 
Dakota. Rosebud Tribal Officials state that no individual was 
identified in the historical information available to them.
    The earbobs attached to the human remains do not appear to meet the 
definition of associated funerary objects as provided in NAGPRA. 
However, officials of the Nebraska State Historical Society have 
determined that the objects would have been placed with the individual 
at the time of his death according to the death rites and ceremonies of 
his people had they been able to bury him. Therefore, the Nebraska 
State Historical Society will repatriate the human remains with the 
earbobs intact. Officials of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud 
Indian Reservation, South Dakota have stated that it is their intention 
to inter the ear and its attached ear decorations as required by their 
culture's death rites and ceremonies for burial of the dead.
    Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the Nebraska 
State Historical Society have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 
(d)(1), the human remain listed above represents the physical remains 
of one individual of Native American ancestry. Officials of the 
Nebraska State Historical Society have also determined that, pursuant 
to 43 CFR 10.2 (e), there is a relationship of shared group identity 
which can be reasonably traced between these Native American human

[[Page 69649]]

remains and associated funerary objects and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of 
the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Shakopee Mdewakanton 
Sioux Community of Minnesota (Prior Lake), Lower Sioux Indian Community 
of Minnesota Mdewakanton Sioux Indians of the Lower Sioux Reservation 
in Minnesota, Upper Sioux Indian Community of the Upper Sioux 
Reservation, Minnesota, Prairie Island Indian Community of Minnesota 
Mdewakanton Sioux Indians of the Prairie Island Reservation, Minnesota, 
Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota (formerly known as the Devils Lake 
Sioux Tribe), Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota, 
Santee Sioux Tribe of the Santee Reservation of Nebraska, Crow Creek 
Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek reservation, South Dakota, Cheyenne River 
Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota, Yankton 
Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge 
Reservation, South Dakota, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule 
Reservation, South Dakota, Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian 
Reservation, South Dakota, Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of the Lake 
Traverse Reservation, South Dakota, Flandreau Santee Tribe of South 
Dakota, Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, 
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, 
Montana. Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself 
to be culturally affiliated with these human remains should contact Rob 
Bozell, Associate Director, Nebraska State Historical Society, 1500 R 
Street, P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln, NE 68501-2554; telephone: (402) 471-
4789, before January 19, 1999. Repatriation of the human remains to the 
Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation may begin after 
that date if no additional claimants come forward.
Dated: November 24, 1998.
Francis P. McManamon,
Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Manager, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 98-33446 Filed 12-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F