[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 86 (Thursday, May 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 22254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11134]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items in the Possession 
of the Tioga County Historical Society, Owego, NY

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection 
and Repatriation Act, 43 CFR 10.10 (a)(3), of the intent to repatriate 
cultural items in the possession of the Tioga County Historical 
Society, Owego, NY, that meet the definition of ``unassociated funerary 
objects'' under Section 2 of the Act.
    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 
cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations within this notice.
    The eight cultural items are an iron tomahawk, a celt, copper 
points, arrowshaft fragments, carbonized material, and a deer bone 
ornament. The iron tomahawk, copper points, arrowshaft fragment, and 
carbonized material have not been located.
    In 1953, the iron tomahawk, celt, copper points, arrowshaft 
fragment and carbonized material were donated by James S. Truman to the 
Tioga County Historical Society. Donor information indicates that the 
iron tomahawk was removed from an ``Indian grave in Cayuga County, 
NY''; the celt was removed from ``an Indian mound in Cayuga County, 
NY''; and the copper points, arrowshaft fragment, and carbonized 
material were removed ``from a Cayuga County, NY Indian grave.'' Donor 
information indicates that the deer bone ornament was removed from ``a 
grave in Cayuga County, NY'' and was donated at an unknown date to the 
Tioga County Historical Society by Frank Truman.
    Based on geographic location, archeological evidence, and object 
types, these cultural items have been affiliated with the Cayuga Nation 
of New York. Historical evidence indicates that the Cayuga Nation of 
New York were the aboriginal occupants of the areas in which the 
cultural items were found. Oral history of the Cayuga indicates that 
the area in which the cultural items were found is within their 
traditional territory.
    Officials of the Tioga County Historical Society have determined 
that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2)(ii), these eight cultural items 
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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the evidence, to 
have been removed from a specific burial site of an Native American 
individual. Officials of the Tioga County Historical Society also 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 
items and the Cayuga Nation of New York.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Cayuga Nation of New 
York; St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians; Seneca Nation of New York; 
Oneida Nation of New York; Onondaga Nation of New York; Seneca-Cayuga 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin; Tonawanda Band of Seneca 
Indian of New York; and Tuscarora Nation of New York. Representatives 
of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally 
affiliated with these objects should contact Dana Leo, Curator, Tioga 
County Historical Society, 110 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827, telephone 
(607) 687-2460, before June 4, 2001. Repatriation of these objects to 
the Cayuga Nation of New York may begin after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: April 11, 2001.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 01-11134 Filed 5-2-01; 8:45 am]
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