[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57838-57839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23127]



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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 Fort Collins 
Museum, Fort Collins, 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), 43CFR 10.9, 
of the completion of an inventory of human remains and associated 
funerary objects in the possession of the Fort Collins Museum, Fort 
Collins, 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 and associated funerary 
object was made by the Fort Collins Museum professional staff in 
consultation with Dr. Ann Magennis, Professor of Anthropology at 
Colorado State University, and representatives of the Arapahoe Tribe of 
the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of 
Oklahoma; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of 
the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe 
of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the 
Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of 
the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of 
North & South Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 
Reservation, Utah; and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The following tribes were 
invited to participate in consultations but were unable to attend: 
Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, South Dakota; 
Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; and 
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. Museum officials also consulted with 
representatives of the White Mesa Ute Tribe, Utah, a nonfederally 
recognized Indian group.
    In 1941, human remains representing one individual were donated to 
the Fort Collins Museum by F.C. Parker. The human remains consist of a 
partial skull. Donor records indicate that an ``arrowhead was found 
embedded in eye cavity.'' The arrowhead is not in the possession of the 
Fort Collins Museum. F.C. Parker was the manager of the Fort Collins 
Opera Hall/Stage in the late 1890s-early 1900s. During the 1930s and 
1940s, an ``Indian relics'' group was instrumental in establishing the 
Pioneer Museum, which later became the Fort Collins Museum. These human 
remains were likely acquired in fairly close proximity to present-day 
Fort Collins. It is believed that the human remains date to sometime 
after the mid-17th century when bows and arrows were introduced in the 
area.
    In the 1940s, human remains representing one individual were 
excavated by Clyde L. Stanley near the town of Keota, Larimer County, 
CO. Mr. Stanley donated the human remains to the Fort Collins Museum in 
1957. Donation records identify the human remains as an ``Indian boy 
about 20 years.'' Dr. Magennis identified the remains as a 20-50 year 
old female Native American. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present. Archeological evidence 
indicates significant Native American occupation in the Keota area 
during the historic period. These human remains are believed to date to 
the historic period based on their good physical condition and their 
excavation from near a site occupied during the historic period.
    Prior to 1951, human remains representing one individual were 
excavated at the ``old Jack Currie farm,'' Larimer County, CO. Ansel E. 
Anderson donated the human remains to the Fort Collins Museum in 1951. 
The circumstances under which Mr. Anderson acquired the skull are not 
clear. A museum tag associated with the human remains reads ``Indian 
skull of Araphahoe squaw.'' Physical examination of the remains reveal 
cranial and dental characteristics consistent with Native American 
males. No known individual was identified. The one associated funerary 
object present is a perforated, white shell.
    In 1972, human remains representing one individual were excavated 
by G.W. Ravenscroft in a streambed in Larimer County, CO. Tests done by 
Colorado State University in 1974 indicate that the remains are Native 
American and predate the arrival of Euro-Americans in the area. 
Ravencroft donated the human remains to the Fort Collins Museum in 
1976. No associated funerary objects are present. A bone awl originally 
recovered with the human remains was apparently misplaced prior to 
1976.
    All of the human remains and the associated funerary object 
described above are believed to date before 1884. Evidence of 
traditional territories, oral traditions, archeological context, 
ethnohistoric documents, cranial measurements, and dental 
characteristics of the human remains support a cultural affiliation 
between these human remains and the associated funerary object and the 
Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne-Arapaho 
Tribes of Oklahoma; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne 
Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Oglala 
Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; Rosebud Sioux 
Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Southern Ute 
Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock 
Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & 
Ouray Reservation, Utah; and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah.
    On April 8-9, 2002, representatives of the above-mentioned Indian 
tribes were consulted regarding the cultural affiliation and 
disposition of these human remains and associated funerary object. The 
authorized representatives of nine of the above-mentioned Indian tribes 
submitted a joint claim of cultural affiliation on April 9, 2002. The 
authorized representative of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 
Reservation, Utah declined to sign the April 9, 2002 joint claim of 
cultural affiliation. The Authorized representatives of the Comanche 
Nation, Oklahoma and Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma subsequently added their 
signatures to the joint claim. The joint claim of cultural affiliation 
identified the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma as lead Indian 
tribe.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the Fort 
Collins Museum have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), 
the human remains listed above represent the physical remains of four 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the Fort Collins 
Museum also have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2), the 
one object listed above was 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, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2(e), 
officials of the Fort Collins Museum have determined that there is a 
relationship of shared group identity

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that can be reasonably traced between these Native American human 
remains and the Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; 
Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Kiowa 
Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern 
Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine 
Ridge Reservation, Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; South Dakota; Rosebud 
Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Southern 
Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing 
Rock Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota; and Ute Mountain Tribe of the 
Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Apache Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; 
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, 
Montana; Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma; Cheyenne River Sioux 
Tribe, South Dakota; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Crow Creek Sioux Tribe 
of the Crow Creek Reservation, South Dakota; Crow Tribe of Montana; 
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota; Fort Sill Apache Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache Tribe of the Jicarilla Apache Indian 
Reservation, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Lower Brule 
Sioux tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota; Mescalero 
Apache Tribe, New Mexico; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern 
Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine 
Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Rosebud 
Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho; Shoshone Tribe of 
the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the 
Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North 
& South Dakota; Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation, North Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 
Reservation, Utah; Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, 
Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah; White Mesa Ute Tribe, Utah; Wichita and 
Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma; and 
Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. Representatives of any other 
Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with 
these human remains should contact Dr. Brenda Martin, NAGPRA 
Coordinator, Fort Collins Museum, 200 Mathews Street, Fort Collins, CO 
80524, telephone (970) 416-2702, before October 15, 2002. Repatriation 
of the human remains to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma may 
begin after that date if no additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: July 17, 2002.
C. Timothy McKeown,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 02-23127 Filed 9-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-S