[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4736-4737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2309]


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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, 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 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 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 University 
of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology 
professional staff and a contract physical anthropologist in 
consultation with representatives of the Big Pine Band of Owens Valley 
Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, California; Death 
Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe 
of the Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; 
Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian 
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of 
Utah (Washakie); Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the 
Bishop Colony, California; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine 
Community of the Lone Pine Reservation, California; Paiute-Shoshone 
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Shoshone Tribe of 
the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the 
Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck 
Valley Reservation, Nevada; Te-Moak Tribes of Western Shoshone Indians 
of Nevada (four constituent bands: Battle Mountain Band, Elko Band, 
South Fork Band, and Wells Band); and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the 
Yomba Reservation, Nevada.
    Around 1940, human remains representing two individuals were 
collected from the area of Big Sandy, Sublette County, WY, by Scott 
Peterson (Crow) and Alice Peterson (Shoshone). At an unknown date, the 
Petersons gave the remains to Theodore Sowers. Mr. Sowers was a 
graduate of the University of Denver and, in 1995, his daughters 
donated the remains to the University of Denver so that they could be 
repatriated. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    The statements of the collectors and the donor indicate that these 
remains are Native American, which are supported by the osteological 
and geographical evidence. Linguistic and ethnographic evidence 
indicates that the ancestors of the Eastern Shoshone arrived in the 
Wind River region by A.D. 1000, and perhaps much earlier. The condition 
of the remains suggests that they are probably younger than 1000 years 
old. The Eastern Shoshone are currently represented by the Big Pine 
Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine 
Reservation, California; Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of 
California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, 
Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Fort McDermitt Paiute and 
Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and 
Oregon; Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie); 
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, 
California; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the 
Lone Pine Reservation, California; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 
Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River 
Reservation, Wyoming; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall 
Reservation of Idaho; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley 
Reservation, Nevada; Te-Moak Tribes of Western Shoshone Indians of 
Nevada (four constituent bands: Battle Mountain Band, Elko Band, South 
Fork Band, and Wells Band); and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba 
Reservation, Nevada.
    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. 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 the Big Pine 
Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine 
Reservation, California; Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of 
California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, 
Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Fort McDermitt Paiute and 
Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and 
Oregon; Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie); 
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, 
California; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the 
Lone Pine Reservation, California; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 
Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River 
Reservation, Wyoming; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall 
Reservation of Idaho; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley 
Reservation, Nevada; Te-Moak Tribes of Western

[[Page 4737]]

Shoshone Indians of Nevada (four constituent bands: Battle Mountain 
Band, Elko Band, South Fork Band, and Wells Band); and the Yomba 
Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation, Nevada.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Big Pine Band of 
Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, 
California; Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California; 
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Ely 
Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of 
the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Northwestern 
Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie); Paiute-Shoshone Indians of 
the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; Paiute-Shoshone 
Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the Lone Pine Reservation, 
California; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, 
Nevada; Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; 
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho; 
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada; Te-Moak 
Tribes of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada (four constituent bands: 
Battle Mountain Band, Elko Band, South Fork Band, and Wells Band); and 
the Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation, Nevada. 
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with these human remains should contact Jan I. 
Bernstein, Collections Manager and NAGPRA Coordinator at the University 
of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology, 2000 
Asbury, Sturm Hall S-146, Denver, CO 80208-2406, email [email protected], 
telephone (303) 871-2543, before March 4, 2002. Repatriation of the 
human remains to the Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone 
Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, California; Death Valley Timbi-Sha 
Shoshone Band of California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater 
Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Fort McDermitt 
Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, 
Nevada and Oregon; Northwestern Band of Shoshoni Nation of Utah 
(Washakie); Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the 
Bishop Colony, California; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine 
Community of the Lone Pine Reservation, California; Paiute-Shoshone 
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Shoshone Tribe of 
the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the 
Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck 
Valley Reservation, Nevada; Te-Moak Tribes of Western Shoshone Indians 
of Nevada (four constituent bands: Battle Mountain Band, Elko Band, 
South Fork Band, and Wells Band); and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the 
Yomba Reservation, Nevada, may begin after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.

    Dated: January 14, 2002.
Robert Stearns,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 02-2309 Filed 1-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-S