[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 117 (Monday, June 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32838-32840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15311]


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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 Control of the U.S. Department 
of the Interior, National Park Service, Ocmulgee National Monument, 
Macon, GA

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 control of the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Ocmulgee National Monument, Macon, GA.
    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 has been made by National Park Service 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-Coushatta Tribes 
of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Catawba Indian 
Nation; Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Choctaw 
Nation of Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of 
Cherokee Indians of North Carolina; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal Town of the 
Creek Indian Nation, Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; 
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) 
Nation of Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole 
Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida, Dania, Big Cypress, 
Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa Reservations; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town of 
the Creek Nation, Oklahoma; and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee 
Indians of Oklahoma. The Shawnee Tribe, also known also as the ``Loyal 
Shawnee'' or ``Cherokee Shawnee,'' a non-Federally recognized Native 
American group at the time that they were consulted, have since been 
recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided 
by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians 
under provisions of P.L. 106-568.
    The human remains and associated funerary objects described in this 
notice were originally recovered from the Lamar Mounds site, located 
within the boundary of Ocmulgee National Monument, and from the Stubbs 
Mound site and Cowart's Landing site, located outside the monument 
boundary.
    The human remains and associated funerary objects described in this 
notice are currently curated at the National Park Service's Southeast 
Archeological Center, in Tallahassee, FL. Other human remains and 
associated funerary objects from these sites are currently curated at 
the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 
Washington, DC.
    Between 1933 and 1938, human remains representing nine individuals

[[Page 32839]]

were recovered from the Lamar Mounds and Village site during legally 
authorized projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administration. No 
known individuals were identified. The 37 associated funerary objects 
are 25 shell beads, 1 bag of beads, 1 worked shell, 3 bone awls, 2 
stone discoidals, 2 shell earplugs, 2 stone celts, and 1 tobacco pipe.
    The Lamar Mounds and Village site consists of two mounds, A and B, 
and a palisaded village area. Archeological evidence indicates that the 
Lamar Mounds and Village site was occupied during the entire Middle and 
Late Mississippian periods (A.D. 1200-1650). The site is believed to be 
the town of Ichisi (Spanish) or Ochisi (Portugese) encountered by the 
Hernando de Soto expedition in 1540. Occupation of the site may have 
continued into the early 18th century.
    Between 1936 and 1937, human remains representing 34 individuals 
were recovered from the Stubbs Mound site during a Works Progress 
Administration excavation. No known individuals were identified. The 55 
associated funerary objects are 46 shell beads, 5 shell pins, 1 
projectile point, 2 stone celts, and 1 plant specimen.
    The Stubbs Mound site consists of a mound and associated village 
area. On the basis of the objects recovered during excavation, the site 
and the human remains have been dated to the Middle Mississippian 
period (A.D. 1200-1350).
    In 1937, human remains representing 12 individuals were recovered 
from the Cowart's Landing site during legally authorized Works Progress 
Administration stratigraphic survey excavations. No known individuals 
were identified. The one associated funerary object is an iron chisel. 
Cowart's Landing is a large midden site located on a terrace 
approximately 1/4 mile from the Ocmulgee River. On the basis of the 
artifacts recovered from the site, its major occupation has been dated 
to the Late Mississipian period (A.D. 1350 to 1650). The iron chisel 
indicates that at least one of the burials may date from A.D. 1540-1821 
period.
    The regional manifestation of archeological resources from the 
Mississippian period have been identified as the Lamar Culture. The 
Lamar Culture has been divided into two time periods, corresponding 
with the distinction between the Middle and Late Mississippian periods. 
The Stubbs Mound site is the type site for the Stubbs Phase of the 
Lamar Culture (A.D. 1200-1350). The Cowart's Landing site is the type 
site for the Cowart Phase of the Lamar Culture (A.D. 1350-1650+). The 
Lamar Mounds site, Stubbs Mound site, and Cowart's Landing site are 
located in close proximity, with occupation of the Stubbs site 
overlapping the early occupation of the Lamar Mounds and Village site, 
and occupation of the Cowarts Landing site overlapping the late 
occupation of the Lamar Mounds and Village site. Archeological evidence 
indicates that the Lamar Culture ceramic types found at all three sites 
are closely related to historic Creek and Cherokee ceramic traditions.
    Between A.D. 1685-1717, the English used variations of the name 
Ochese-hatchee or Ochese Creek to refer to the river later called the 
Ocmulgee River. The towns and people living along Ochese Creek during 
that period were referred to as the Ochese (various spellings) Creek 
Nation, the Ochese Creek people, and, finally, simply the Creeks. The 
word Ochese and its variations has been traced from middle Georgia to 
the Chattahooche River, then to Florida, and finally to Oklahoma. A 
squareground of this name existed in Oklahoma until the 1950s. There is 
an Ochese Street in Okmulgee, OK. Ethnohistorical information indicates 
that the Ichisi-Ochese were probably Hitchiti speakers, which would 
link them directly to Hitchiti speakers among the later Seminole and 
Miccosukee tribes. The Ichisi-Ochese may also be linked less directly 
to speakers of closely related Alabama and Koasati languages among the 
latter-day Alabama and Coushatta tribes.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, the superintendent of 
Ocmulgee National Monument has determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 
(d)(1), the human remains listed above represent the physical remains 
of 55 individuals of Native American ancestry. The superintendent of 
Ocmulgee National Monument also has determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 
10.2 (d)(2), the 93 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, the 
superintendent of Ocmulgee National Monument has determined that, 
pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (e), there is a relationship of shared group 
identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and funerary objects and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of 
Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation, 
Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Indians of North Carolina; Kialegee Tribal Town of the Creek Indian 
Nation, Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Muscogee 
(Creek) Nation of Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; 
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida, Dania, Big 
Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa Reservations; Thlopthlocco Tribal 
Town of the Creek Nation, Oklahoma; and United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Absentee-Shawnee 
Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas; 
Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Catawba Indian Nation; 
Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation 
of Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Indians of North Carolina; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Jena Band 
of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal Town of the Creek Indian 
Nation, Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Mississippi 
Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation of 
Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole Nation of 
Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida, Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, 
Hollywood & Tampa Reservations; Shawnee Tribe; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town 
of the Creek Nation, Oklahoma; and 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 Jim David, 
Superintendent, Ocmulgee National Monument, 1207 Emery Highway, Macon, 
GA 31217, telephone (478) 752-8257, before July 18, 2001. Repatriation 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Alabama-
Coushatta Tribes of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; 
Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band 
of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina; Kialegee Tribal Town of the 
Creek Indian Nation, Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; 
Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of 
Alabama; Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida, Dania, 
Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa Reservations; Thlopthlocco 
Tribal Town of the Creek Nation, Oklahoma; and United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma.


[[Page 32840]]


    Dated: May 7, 2001.
Frank P. Mc Manamon,
Acting Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and 
Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 01-15311 Filed 6-15-01; 8:45 am]
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