[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57840-57841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23130]


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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 Museum of 
Natural History and Planetarium, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI; 
Correction

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 Museum of Natural History and 
Planetarium, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI.
    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.
    This notice corrects information that was reported in a Notice of 
Inventory Completion published October 4, 2001 (Federal Register 
document 01-24936, pages 50672-50673), which was itself a correction of 
a Notice of Inventory Completion published May 3, 2001 (Federal 
Register document 01-11141, pages 22248-22250). In both notices, the 
name of a site where human remains and associated funerary objects were 
discovered was wrongly reported, as were dates of transfer in the 
collection history of objects from that site.
    Paragraphs 16 and 17 of the October 4, 2001, notice reported human 
remains representing one individual and four associated funerary 
objects as coming from Jamestown, RI. The site name should be corrected 
to Burr's Hill Burial Ground, Warren, RI, and the information should be 
reported along with the human remains in the preceding two paragraphs. 
In paragraphs 14 and 15, dates of transfer in the collection history of 
objects from Burr's Hill Burial Ground were wrongly reported.
    To correct this information, paragraphs 16 and 17 should be 
deleted, and the human remains representing one individual and four 
associated funerary objects should be included in paragraphs 14 and 15 
to read:

[[Page 57841]]

    (Paragraph 14) In 1894, human remains representing four individuals 
were recovered from the Burr's Hill Burial Ground, Warren, RI, by A.T. 
Vaughan, who donated these remains to the Museum of Natural History and 
Planetarium in 1900. No known individuals were identified. Museum 
documentation indicates that ``curios'' were found with these human 
remains, and were transferred in 1916 to the Heye Foundation (now the 
National Museum of the American Indian) as part of an exchange. Museum 
documentation also indicates that a fragment or fragments of one of the 
individuals were transferred in 1918 to the Heye Foundation (now the 
National Museum of the American Indian) as part of an exchange. The 
four associated funerary objects are fragments of bark, hair, iron, and 
cloth that are adhered to the human remains.
    (Paragraph 15) Based on skeletal morphology and extensive copper 
staining, these individuals have been identified as Native American 
from the 17th century. Based on physical evidence, consultation with 
tribal representatives, and geographic/provenience information, these 
individuals have been determined to be culturally affiliated with the 
Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay 
Head (Aquinnah).
    Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the Museum 
of Natural History and Planetarium 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 Museum of Natural History and Planetarium also have determined 
that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2), the four 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, officials of the Museum of Natural History and 
Planetarium 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 associated funerary 
objects and the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island and Wampanoag 
Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah).
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Narragansett Indian 
Tribe of Rhode Island and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). 
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with these human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Marilyn Massaro, Curator of Collections, Museum 
of Natural History and Planetarium, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI 
02905, telephone (401) 785-9457, before October 15, 2002. Repatriation 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island and Wampanoag Tribe of Gay 
Head (Aquinnah) may begin after that date if no additional claimants 
come forward.

    Dated: July 3, 2002.
Robert Stearns,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 02-23130 Filed 9-11-02; 8:45 am]
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