[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 219 (Monday, November 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 67759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28859]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
and Associated Funerary Objects in the Possession of the University of 
Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology, Denver, 
CO

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 and associated 
funerary objects in the possession of the University of Denver 
Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO. 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. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations within this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by University 
of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology 
professional staff and a contract physical anthropologist, in 
consultation with representatives of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of 
Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation, 
Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; 
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina; Jena Band of 
Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Mississippi 
Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation, 
Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Quapaw Tribe of 
Indians, Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Oklahoma; and the United 
Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma.
    At an unknown date, an unknown person removed human remains 
representing two individuals from the Hales' Point Mound, Lauderdale 
County, TN. At a later date in the 1950's or 1960's the remains and 
their associated funerary objects were purchased from Tilton Indian 
Relics by Mr. Fallis F. Rees, who donated the remains and funerary 
objects to the University of Denver Department of Anthropology and 
Museum of Anthropology in 1967. No known individuals were identified. 
The eight associated funerary objects are one mortuary jar, two water 
bottles, one of which is Bell Plain, one elbow pipe, three unidentified 
clay objects with indentations, and one double jar with red slip and 
shell temper.
    The Hales' Point site has been identified archeologically as a 
Walls phase site. The Walls phase is a Late Mississippian (A.D. 1200-
1540) and Early Historic Period (A.D. 1540-1700) cultural unit in the 
central Mississippi Valley of southwestern Tennessee and eastern 
Arkansas. The funerary objects support a late precontact date for the 
remains. At the time that Europeans first visited the region around 
Hales' Point, in the mid-16th century, both the Quapaw and the 
Chickasaw lived in the central Mississippi Valley. During 
consultations, representatives of both the Quapaw Tribe of Indians, 
Oklahoma, and the Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma, presented evidence from 
oral tradition, ethnohistory, archeology, and material culture, 
specifically continuities in ceramic traditions, to demonstrate their 
cultural affiliation to the Hales' Point site.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the 
University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of 
Anthropology have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the 
human remains listed above represent the physical remains of two 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the University of 
Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology also have 
determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2), the eight objects 
listed above 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. Also, officials of the University of Denver 
Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology 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 associated funerary objects and the 
Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma, and the Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Alabama-Coushatta 
Tribes of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Cherokee 
Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation of 
Oklahoma; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina; Jena Band 
of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal Town, Oklahoma; 
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) 
Nation, Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Quapaw Tribe 
of Indians, Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Oklahoma; and the 
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma. Representatives 
of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally 
affiliated with these human remains and associated funerary objects 
should contact Jan I. Bernstein, Collections Manager and NAGPRA 
Coordinator at the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, 2000 
Asbury, Sturm Hall S-146, Denver, CO 80208-2406, email [email protected], 
telephone (303) 871-2543, before December 13, 2000. Repatriation of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Chickasaw Nation, 
Oklahoma, and the Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma, may begin after 
that date if no additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: October 31, 2000.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 00-28859 Filed 11-9-00; 8:45 am]
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