[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 47 (Friday, March 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14204-14205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5945]


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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 U.S. 
Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Knife River Indian 
Villages National Historical Site, Stanton, ND.

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 U.S. Department of the 
Interior, National Park Service, Knife River Indian Villages National 
Historical Site, Stanton, ND. 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 Service unit that has control or 
possession of these Native American human remains and associated 
funerary objects. 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 and 
associated funerary objects was made by National Park Service 
professional staff in consultation with the Three Affiliated Tribes of 
the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota. Additionally, Dr. Randall 
R. Skelton, University of Montana, Department of Anthropology, 
performed a physical anthropological examination of the human remains 
at the request of the Montana Division of Forensic Sciences.
    Prior to coming into the possession of the Knife River Indian 
Villages National Historical Site, the human remains at issue were 
comprised of a single skull, lower jaw, and eight teeth.
    Documentary evidence indicates that in October 2000 Agent Reed 
Scott, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), received a 
telephone call from the Broadwater County Sheriff's Office reporting 
that a human skull had been found in the closet of a rented residence 
in Townsend, MT. On October 16, 2000, Agent Scott took custody of the 
skull and signed it over to DCI Agent Will Cordes on October 17, 2000, 
who transported the remains to the Montana Division of Forensic 
Sciences. On October 18, 2000, Agent Scott contacted the owner of the 
residence, Mrs. Bevan Carson, and was informed by her that the Carson 
family received the skull around 1990 from Forest Kreiger, now 
deceased, of Stanton, ND. Agent Scott then contacted Mr. Kreiger's son, 
Jesse Kreiger, who stated that his father had moved to their farm in 
Stanton, ND, during the 1950s and while farming had located a number of 
bones. Jesse Kreiger had no recollection of this specific human skull; 
however, he stated that tribal burial grounds had been located on or 
near the Kreiger properties. He also indicated that his father's farm 
was near or part of the Knife River Indian Village National Historic 
Site. On October 20, 2000, Agent Scott contacted Pam Piatz, Jesse 
Kreiger's sister, of Stanton, ND. Mrs. Piatz recalled that human 
remains had been on her family's farm and that the human skull at issue 
had either been exhumed by her father while he was farming or ranching, 
or had been unearthed by a fox. On October 20, 2000, Agent Scott 
received a report from Dr. Skelton, who had been asked to examine the 
skull by the Montana Division of Forensic Sciences. The report 
indicated that the skull represents a male individual with an age 
ranging between 26 and 83 years and who possessed prehistoric Native 
American physical characteristics. On October 30, 2000, Agent Scott had 
the human skull transported to the Mercer County Sheriff's Office in 
Stanton, ND.
    On October 31, 2000, Major Colin Peterson, Mercer County Sheriff's 
Department, contacted John A. Moeykens at Knife River Indian Villages 
National Historical Site, and informed him about the human remains' 
recent recovery and background. After taking custody of the skull on 
November 13, 2000, Mr. Moeykens conducted a follow-up investigation. 
Upon contacting Jesse Kreiger and Mrs. Piatz, Mr. Moeykens was informed 
that the Kreiger family had bought their property in the vicinity of 
the park in approximately 1958. Further, except for the known Native 
American burial sites, most of the lands had been farmed during the 
early 1960s. According to Jesse Kreiger and Mrs. Piatz, their father 
unearthed Native American artifacts and human remains while farming, 
but they had no specific recollection of the human skull at issue. They 
also stated that the Carsons had resided in the Stanton, ND, area for 
about one year, possibly in the 1960s, and occasionally returned for 
visits. Jesse Kreiger and Mrs. Piatz did not believe the skull could 
have been given to the Carsons in 1990 and that Mrs. Carson was 
confused about this date. Rather, they believe that the Carsons would 
have obtained the remains 30 years ago if they were recovered from 
their father's land.
    On November 13, 2000, human remains representing one individual 
were received by and taken into the possession of Knife River Indian 
Villages National Historical Site. These human remains, which are 
comprised of a single skull, lower jaw, and eight teeth, were delivered 
with documentary evidence to Knife River Indian Villages National 
Historical Site by Major Colin Peterson of the Mercer County Sheriff's 
Department, Stanton, ND. Supporting documentation indicates that the 
skull was removed 10 to 30 years ago from

[[Page 14205]]

private land adjacent to Knife River Indian Villages National 
Historical Site. Although the date of exhumation is not known, it most 
likely occurred before the National Park Service acquired the private 
land from which it was removed. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Based upon an anthroposcopic assessment, Dr. Skelton identified 
these human remains as Native American. On the basis of documentary, 
testimonial, and geographic evidence, the human remains described above 
are reasonably believed to have been removed 10 to 30 years ago from 
private land adjacent to Knife River Indian Villages National 
Historical Site. Further, it is reasonably believed that the remains 
were exhumed from a slope above Big Hidatsa Village, where Native 
American burials are known to exist. The Hidatsa is one of the three 
tribes that comprise the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation (Arikara, Hidatsa, and Mandan).
    Based on the above-mentioned information, the Knife River Indian 
Villages National Historical Site superintendent determined that, 
pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the human remains listed above 
represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American 
ancestry. The Knife River Indian Villages National Historical Site 
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 Three 
Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Three Affiliated 
Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota. Representatives 
of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally 
affiliated with these human remains should contact Lisa Eckert, 
Superintendent, Knife River Indian Villages National Historical Site, 
P.O. Box 9, Stanton, ND 58571, telephone (701) 745-3309, before April 
9, 2001. Repatriation of the human remains to the Three Affiliated 
Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota will begin after 
that date if no additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: February 14, 2001.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 01-5945 Filed 3-8-01; 8:45 am]
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