[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 45 (Friday, March 7, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11137-11138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5509]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Louisiana State University Museum 
of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, LA

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), 25 U.S.C. 
3003, Sec. 5, of the completion of an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects in the possession of the Louisiana State 
University Museum of Natural Science, Baton Rouge, LA.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003, Sec. 5 
(d)(3). 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 Louisiana 
State University Museum of Natural Science professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of 
Louisiana.
    In 1934, human remains representing five individuals were excavated 
by Dr. James A. Ford at the Angola Farm site (16WF002), West Feliciana 
Parish, LA. No known individuals were identified. The 7,899 funerary 
objects recovered during this excavation are 7,298 glass beads, 15 
shell beads, 22 ceramic beads, 400 ceramic sherds, 14 metal gun 
fragments, 73 metal nails and stakes, 1 metal button, 19 metal pellets, 
3 metal tinkers, 21 metal fragments, 20 lead balls, 4 lead pellets, 1 
copper fragment, 2 pewter buckles, 4 glass fragments, and 2 stone 
objects.
    In 1935 and 1939, Dr. Ford donated the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural 
Science where they were curated until 1974 when they were loaned to Dr. 
Jeffrey Brain at the Peabody-Essex Museum, Salem, MA, for restudy. The 
human remains and associated funerary objects were returned to the 
Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science in 2002.
    On December 13, 2000, the National Park Service published a 
separate notice of inventory completion of behalf of Louisiana State 
University Museum of Natural Science for the remains of 1 individual 
and 11 associated funerary objects from the Angola Farm site (16WF002) 
(Federal Register Document 00-31658, pages 77907-77908).
    Officials of the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural 
Science have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001, Sec. 2 (9) 
and 2 (10), the human remains described above represent the physical 
remains of five individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of 
the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science also have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001, Sec. 2 (3)(A), the 7,899 
objects described 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 Louisiana 
State University Museum of Natural Science have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001, Sec. 2 (2), 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 
Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with these human remains and associated 
funerary objects should contact Dr. Rebecca Saunders, Curator of 
Anthropology, Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, 119 
Foster Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, telephone (225) 578-6562, before 
April 7, 2003. Repatriation of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects

[[Page 11138]]

to the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: December 18, 2002.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 03-5509 Filed 3-6-03; 8:45 am]
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