[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55044-55045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23384]


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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 Scott and Dubuque Counties, IA, 
and Rock Island County, IL, in the Possession of the Office of the 
State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

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, 
of the completion of an inventory of human remains and associated 
funerary objects in the possession of the Office of State 
Archaeologist, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.
    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 
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of these Native 
American human remains and associated funerary objects. The National 
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations within this 
notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Office 
of State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the 
Mississippi in Iowa, Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and 
Nebraska, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma.
    In 1877, human remains representing one individual were excavated 
from site 13ST82, Scott County, Iowa, by Rev. J. Gass and other members 
of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences. The museum associated 
with this group is now known as the Putnam Museum, Davenport, IA. In 
1993, the human remains were transferred to the Office of the State 
Archaeologist Burials Program. No known individuals were identified. 
There are no associated funerary objects.
    The Putnam Museum card catalog information identified the remains 
as coming from the upper levels of a Woodland-period mound and that 
this intrusive burial was associated with ``European artifacts.'' 
Descriptions of the excavations published in the Proceedings of the 
Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences describe this as a 19th century 
burial with ``a fire steel, a common clay pipe, a number of shell and 
glass beads, and a silver ear ring'' associated with the remains. Based 
on historical maps, written historical accounts, archaeological 
evidence, and tribal history, the Sac and Fox (Meskwaki) are known to 
have had villages in this vicinity during the late 1700's and early 
1800's. The artifacts described as found with the remains are 
consistent with those associated with the Sac and Fox (Meskwaki). The 
current location of the artifacts is unknown.
    In the late 1800's or early 1900's, human remains representing two 
individuals were excavated from graves at the Mines of Spain, Dubuque, 
Dubuque County, IA, by Richard Herrmann, a local collector. Mr. 
Herrmann donated the remains to the Ham House Museum, owned by the 
Dubuque County Historical Society, Dubuque, IA. In 1986, the remains 
were transferred to the Office of State Archaeologist Burials Program. 
No known individuals were identified. There are no associated funerary 
objects.
    Mr. Herrmann's notes indicated that these two individuals were from 
graves located on a bluff in what is now known as the Mines of Spain, 
Dubuque, IA. Mr. Herrmann participated in the removal and reburial of 
the remains of what were purported to be Julien Dubuque (Hodges 1994), 
and he collected the remains of a woman from a grave outside of the 
presumed grave of Mr. Dubuque and Chief Peosta. Mr. Herrmann identified 
the woman as ``Potosa,'' also known as Ms. Potosi, the purported wife 
of Mr. Dubuque. Historical records do not provide any information on 
Ms. Potosi, and it is not known when she died, how old she was when she 
died, the cause of her death, or even if the remains in this collection 
are those of ``Potosa.'' The remains of a second individual were taken 
from a grave 60 feet west of the purported Dubuque/Peosta grave. A tag 
written by Mr. Herrmann identifies these remains as ``Kettle Chief.'' 
Given that none of the graves was marked, that they were excavated at 
least 75 to 100 years after the deaths of the named individuals, and 
the stated rationale for Mr. Herrmann's purported identification is 
suspect, the remains of these individuals cannot be identified with 
certainty. Physical anthropological evidence indicates that these two 
individuals are Native American. Historical maps, written historical 
accounts, archeological evidence, and tribal history demonstrate that 
the Meskwaki had a village at this location in the late 1700's and 
early 1800's and that Julien Dubuque lived and died in

[[Page 55045]]

the area while mining lead on his large land grant named Mines of 
Spain.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing two individuals were 
removed by Bud Hansen, a local collector, reportedly from the Saukenauk 
site (11RI29), Rock Island, Rock Island County, IL. In 1987, the 
remains were transferred to the Office of State Archaeologist Burial 
Program from a private collection. Saukenauk was an important Sac and 
Meskwaki village between 1764 and 1830, which has been documented by 
oral historical, archival, and anthropological evidence. No known 
individuals were identified. There are no associated funerary objects.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the Office 
of the State Archaeologist, University of Iowa, 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. Also, officials of the Office of the State Archaeologist, 
University of Iowa, have 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 Sac and Fox 
Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in 
Kansas and Nebraska, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Sac and Fox Tribe of 
the Mississippi in Iowa, Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and 
Nebraska, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma. Representatives of 
any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated 
with these human remains should contact Shirley Schermer, Burials 
Program Director, Office of the State Archaeologist, Eastlawn, 
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, telephone (319) 384-0732, 
before October 12, 2000. Repatriation of the human remains to the Sac 
and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, Sac and Fox Nation of 
Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma 
may begin after that date if no additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: August 23, 2000.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships
[FR Doc. 00-23384 Filed 9-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F