[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 46947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19292]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
in the Possession of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, 
Mountainair, NM

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), 43 CFR 10.9, 
of the completion of an inventory of human remains in the possession of 
the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, National Park Service, 
Mountainair, NM. This notice is published as part of the National Park 
Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR 10.2 
(c). The determinations within this notice are the sole responsibility 
of the National Park unit that has control or possession of these 
Native American human remains. The Assistant Director, Cultural 
Resources Stewardship and Partnerships, is not responsible for the 
determinations within this notice.
    A detailed assessment and inventory of the human remains was made 
by National Park Service professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Mescalero Apache 
Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; and the Wichita and 
Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma.
    In 1956, human remains representing 99 individuals were recovered 
from 58 burial sites during a legally authorized National Park Service 
stabilization project conducted at the San Isidro Mission Church's 
Campo Santo Catholic Cemetery (Campo Santo). This site is located at 
the Pueblo de las Humanas complex, a site located within Monument 
boundaries. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    On the basis of architectural, archeological, biological (cranial 
morphology), historical, and Church documentation evidence, San 
Isidro's cemetery (Campo Santo) was determined to have been in use from 
1629-1672; therefore, this site and these human remains are dated to 
the Pueblo IV and Pueblo V (A.D. 1300-1672) periods.
    Based upon an osteological analysis of the 99 individuals recovered 
from this site (Campo Santo), 4 of these human remains were identified 
as Athabascan/Apache. This analysis found that the facial features of 
the four individuals were consistent with ``Plains Indian'' and are 
reported to be of Athabascan or Apachean ancestry. Archeological 
evidence obtained from the burials also suggests that these four 
individuals are of Athabascan/Apache origin.
    Historical evidence records that Apache bands from the Apaches 
Perillos and Siete Rios raided the Salinas towns, which constitutes one 
of the reasons for their eventual abandonment. Additional documentary 
evidence indicates that some of these Apaches were killed during raids 
on the Salinas villages. Historical records also evidence that the 
Apache maintained friendships and established trading relationships 
with some of the Salinas towns on a band-to-town basis. Intermarriages 
between the Apaches and members of the towns also occurred.
    Utilizing archeological, historical, geographical, biological, 
ethnographic, oral tradition, and expert opinion evidence, it has been 
determined that the above-described human remains are culturally 
affiliated with the Caddo, Kiowa, Mescalero Apache, White Mountain 
Apache, and Wichita Affiliated (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie) 
Tribes.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, the Salinas Pueblo 
Missions National Monument Superintendent determined that, pursuant to 
43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the human remains listed above represent the 
physical remains of four individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Lastly, the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Superintendent 
also determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (e), there is a 
relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced 
between these Native American human remains and the Caddo Indian Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Mescalero Apache Tribe of 
the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; White Mountain Apache Tribe of 
the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; and the Wichita and Affiliated 
Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Pueblo of Acoma, New 
Mexico; the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; 
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; White Mountain Apache Tribe of the 
Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; Wichita and Affiliated Tribes 
(Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of 
Texas; Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico; and Piro-Manso-
Tiwa, a non-Federally recognized Indian group. Representatives of any 
other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated 
with these human remains should contact Glenn M. Fulfer, 
Superintendent, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, P.O. Box 
517, Mountainair, NM 87036, telephone (505) 847-2585 Extension 25, 
before August 31, 2000. Repatriation of the human remains will begin 
after that date if no additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: July 21, 2000.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 00-19292 Filed 7-31; 8:45 am]
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