[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 112 (Friday, June 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 31607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14830]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items from Oregon in the 
Possession of the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 
Hastings, NE

AGENCY: National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection 
and Repatriation Act, 43 CFR 10.10 (a)(3), of the intent to repatriate 
cultural items in the possession of the Hastings Museum of Natural and 
Cultural History (formerly the Hastings Museum), Hastings NE which meet 
the definition of ``unassociated funerary objects'' under Section 2 of 
the Act.
    The ten cultural items consist of eight black faceted glass beads 
and two white pony beads.
    At an unknown date, museum records indicate nine black beads were 
excavated from a burial site in the state of Oregon by an unknown 
individual. In 1939, these beads were received by the Hastings Museum 
as part of an exchange with the John Bear Estate and catalogued as 
accession number 18429. During the inventory of 1989, eight black beads 
and two white beads were found associated with this accession number. 
It is unclear where the white beads came from or where the ninth black 
bead may be. The museum believes the white beads are associated with 
the remaining black beads.
    Based on the material and types of beads present, these cultural 
items date to the post-1850 historic period. Consultation information 
provided by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of 
Oregon shows that the aboriginal territory of the tribes include a 
large portion of western Oregon. Based on this information, officials 
of the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History have determined 
that the geographical location of this grave was likely to have been 
within the aboriginal and historic territory of the Confederated Tribes 
of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon.
    Officials of the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History 
have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2)(ii), these ten 
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. Officials of the Hastings Museum of Natural and 
Cultural History 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 items and the Confederated Tribes of 
the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Confederated Tribes 
of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. Representatives of any other 
Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with 
these objects should contact Teresa Kreutzer, Curator, Hastings Museum 
of Natural and Cultural History, P.O. Box 1286, Hastings, NE 68902; 
telephone: (402) 461-2399, fax: (402) 461-2379 before July 12, 1999. 
Repatriation of these objects to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand 
Ronde Community of Oregon may begin after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations 
within this notice.
Dated: May 24, 1999.
Francis P. McManamon,
Departmental Consulting Archeologist,Manager, Archeology and 
Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 99-14830 Filed 6-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F