[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 251 (Friday, December 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83079-83081]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33272]


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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 Arizona State 
Museum, Tucson, AZ, and in the Control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

AGENCY: National Park Service

ACTION: Notice

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    Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native 
American

[[Page 83080]]

Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 43 CFR 10.9, of the 
completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects in possession of the Arizona State Museum, Tucson, AZ, and in 
the control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    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 Arizona 
State Museum professional staff and Bureau of Indian Affairs 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Gila 
River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; 
the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River 
Reservation, Arizona; the Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak 
Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Tohono O'odham Nation of 
Arizona; the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; and the Pueblo of Zuni. The Pueblo 
of Zuni has withdrawn from this consultation. The Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona is acting on 
behalf of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt 
River Reservation, Arizona; the Ak Chin Indian Community of the 
Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Tohono O'odham 
Nation of Arizona; and themselves.
    In 1934-35, human remains representing five individuals were 
removed during excavations conducted by the Gila Pueblo Foundation of 
Arizona at the Snaketown Site (AZ:U:13:1 ASM) on the Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Pinal County, AZ. No known individuals were identified. 
The seven associated funerary objects are three pottery jars, one stone 
bead, one turquoise piece, two pottery bowls, and a figurine fragment.
    In 1964-65, human remains representing 100 individuals were removed 
during excavations at the Snaketown Site (AZ:U:13:1 ASM) by University 
of Arizona staff. Four individuals consisted of inhumations, the 
remainder were removed from 97 cremation features. No known individuals 
were identified. The 5,543 associated funerary objects are 125 pottery 
sherds, 4 ceramic scoops, 21 pottery jars and jar fragments, 24 pottery 
bowls and bowl fragments, 3 plates and plate fragments, 1 pottery seed 
jar, 9 shells, 3,105 shell beads, 1,225 shell fragments, 11 shell 
artifacts, 1 shell artifact fragment, 1 shell bracelet, 74 shell 
bracelet fragments, 5 shell pendants, 1 shell ring, 10 bone tube 
fragments, 102 stone beads, 3 censers, 449 shell or stone beads, 3 
turquoise pieces, 2 turquoise pendants, 1 stone pendant, 5 bone hair 
ornaments, 43 whole and fragmentary antler artifacts, 1 bone awl, 153 
bone awl fragments, 10 bone artifact fragments, 2 pillow-shaped pieces, 
1 polishing stone, 1 core, 1 pecking stone, 1 tabular knife, 1 hoe 
fragment, 1 stone scraper-chopper, 1 abrader, 2 reamers, 3 manos, 1 
scraper, 1 hammerstone, 4 crystals, 2 medicine stones, 1 stone bowl, 5 
figurine fragments, 15 stone palettes and palette fragments, 54 
projectile points, 5 projectile point fragments, 49 unworked faunal 
bones and bone fragments, and 1 group of plant remains.
    The archeological evidence, including characteristics of portable 
material culture, attributes of ceramic styles, domestic and ritual 
architecture, site organization, and canal-based agriculture of the 
settlement, places the Snaketown Site within the archeologically-
defined Hohokam tradition and within the Phoenix Basin local variant of 
that tradition. The occupation of the Snaketown Site spans the years 
circa A.D. 500/700-1100/1150.
    In 1964-1965, human remains representing three individuals were 
removed during joint University of Arizona Department of Anthropology 
and Arizona State Museum excavations at site AZ:U:13:22 ASM, Gila River 
Indian Reservation, Pinal County, AZ. No known individuals were 
identified. The two associated funerary objects are a bowl fragment and 
a ceramic sherd.
    The archeological evidence, including characteristics of portable 
material culture, attributes of ceramic styles, domestic and ritual 
architecture, site organization, and canal-based agriculture of the 
settlement, places AZ U:13:22 within the archeologically-defined 
Hohokam tradition and within the Phoenix Basin local variant of that 
tradition. The occupation of AZ:U:13:22 ASM spans the years circa A.D. 
1150-1350.
    In 1964-1965, human remains representing 15 individuals were 
removed during joint University of Arizona Department of Anthropology 
and Arizona State Museum excavations at AZ:U:13:24 ASM, Gila River 
Indian Reservation, Pinal County, AZ. No known individuals were 
identified. The 165 associated funerary objects are 7 pottery jars, 1 
bowl, 2 sherds, 1 projectile point, and 153 beads.
    The archeological evidence, including characteristics of portable 
material culture, attributes of ceramic styles, domestic and ritual 
architecture, site organization, and canal-based agriculture of the 
settlement, places AZ U:13:24 ASM within the archeologically-defined 
Hohokam tradition and within the Phoenix Basin local variant of that 
tradition. The occupation of AZ:U:13:24 ASM spans the years circa 
A.D.1150-1350/1400.
    In 1963, human remains representing 29 individuals were removed 
during I-10 Highway Salvage Project excavations at site AZ:U:13:9 ASM 
by Arizona State Museum staff Alfred E. Johnson. This site is located 
approximately one mile north of Bapchule, at the southwestern corner of 
Gila Butte, Gila River Indian Reservation, Pinal County, AZ. No known 
individuals were identified. The 141 associated funerary objects are 98 
bone artifacts, 9 bowls, 8 jars, 1 pitcher, 1 plate, 4 reconstructable 
bowls, 3 reconstructable jars, 4 hammerstones, 2 shell pendants, 1 
shell fragment, and 10 sherds.
    Based upon architecture, portable material culture, and site 
organization, occupation at site AZ U:13:9 ASM has been dated to 
approximately A.D.700-1350/1400.
    In 1963, human remains representing 16 individuals were removed 
during I-10 Highway Salvage Project excavations at site AZ U:13:11 ASM 
by Arizona State Museum staff Alfred E. Johnson. This site is located 
approximately 0.5 mile north of Bapchule, Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Pinal County, AZ. The 17 associated funerary objects are 1 
pottery bowl, 5 jars, 1 scoop, 1 reconstructable jar, 3 jar fragments, 
and 6 sherds.
    The archeological evidence, including characteristics of portable 
material culture, attributes of ceramic styles, domestic and ritual 
architecture, site organization, and canal-based agriculture of the 
settlement, places AZ U:13:11 within the archeologically-defined 
Hohokam tradition. The occupation of AZ U:13:11 spans the years circa 
A.D. 1150-1300.
    In 1969, human remains representing three individuals were removed 
from site AZ U:13:27 ASM during excavations associated with the 
construction of the Sacaton municipal hospital, Sacaton, Gila River 
Reservation, Pinal County, AZ, by Arizona State Museum staff. No known 
individuals were identified. The five associated funerary objects are a 
shell bracelet, a shell pendant, a stone knife, a stone palette, and a 
ring.
    The archeological evidence, including characteristics of portable 
material

[[Page 83081]]

culture, attributes of ceramic styles, domestic and ritual 
architecture, site organization, and canal-based agriculture of the 
settlement, places AZ U:13:27 ASM within the archeologically-defined 
Hohokam tradition and within the Phoenix Basin local variant of that 
tradition. The occupation of AZ U:13:27 spans the years circa A.D.750-
1350/1400.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing one individual were 
recovered from Upper Sacaton Village (AZ U:14:8 ASM), Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Pinal County, AZ, by an unknown person. At an unknown 
time, these remains were donated to the Arizona State Museum by an 
unknown person. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    Based on architecture, portable material culture including red-on-
buff and polychrome ceramics, and site organization, AZ U:14:8 ASM has 
been identified as a Hohokam site. The occupation of AZ U:14:8 ASM 
spans the years circa A.D.775-1500.
    At unknown and, presumably, separate dates prior to 1967, human 
remains representing four individuals were removed from three cremation 
features at unknown sites in the vicinity of Sacaton, Gila River Indian 
Community, Pinal County, AZ, by an unknown person or persons. These 
remains were donated to the Arizona State Museum by unknown persons in 
1967. No known individuals were identified. The three associated 
funerary objects are the jars in which the remains had been placed 
subsequent to cremation.
    Based on characteristics of the mortuary program, these burials 
have been identified as having a high probability of association with 
the Hohokam archeological tradition.
    In 1971, human remains representing three individuals were removed 
from surface contexts within the Gila River Indian Community, Pinal 
County, AZ, by Donald Wood, Arizona State Museum staff. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Based on characteristics of the mortuary program, these burials 
have been identified as having a high probability of association with 
the archeologically-defined Hohokam tradition.
    Continuities of ethnographic materials and technology indicate 
affiliation of Hohokam settlements with present-day O'odham (Piman), 
Pee Posh, and Puebloan cultures. Oral traditions documented for the 
Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, 
Arizona; the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt 
River Reservation, Arizona; the Ak Chin Indian Community of the 
Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Tohono O'odham 
Nation of Arizona; the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; and the Pueblo of Zuni 
support affiliation with Hohokam sites in central Arizona.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the Arizona 
State Museum and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have determined that, 
pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the human remains listed above 
represent the physical remains of 179 individuals of Native American 
ancestry. Officials of the Arizona State Museum and the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs also have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 
(d)(2), the 5,899 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. Lastly, officials of 
the Arizona State Museum and the Bureau of Indian Affairs 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 
Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, 
Arizona; the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt 
River Reservation, Arizona; the Ak Chin Indian Community of the 
Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Tohono O'odham 
Nation of Arizona; the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; and the Pueblo of Zuni.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Salt River 
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; 
the Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona; and the Pueblo of Zuni. Representatives of any other 
Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with 
these human remains and associated funerary objects should contact Lynn 
S. Teague, Repatriation Coordinator, Arizona State Museum, University 
of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, telephone (520) 621-4795, before January 
29, 2001. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of 
the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; the Ak Chin Indian Community of 
the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Tohono O'odham 
Nation of Arizona; the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; and the Pueblo of Zuni 
may begin after that date if no additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: December 14, 2000.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources, Stewardship, and Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 00-33272 Filed 12-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F