[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 138 (Friday, July 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42756-42757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-18208]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of 
Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the 
completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects in the possession of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of 
Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA. The 
human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from six 
sites in Kern County, CA.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d)(3). 
The determinations within this notice are the sole responsibility of 
the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects. The 
National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations within 
this notice.
    An assessment of the human remains, and catalog records and 
associated documents relevant to the human remains, was made by Phoebe 
A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of 
California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, 
California; Table Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian 
Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California; and Tuolumne Band of 
Me-Wuk Rancheria of California.
    In 1922, human remains representing at least 26 individuals were 
removed from burials at site CA-Ker-37, a mound site located on the 
shoreline of former Goose Lake, Kern County, CA, by A. Steinberger of 
McFarland, CA. The human remains were donated to the Phoebe A. Hearst 
Museum of Anthropology in the same year. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1924, human remains representing at least 16 individuals were 
removed from burials at site CA-Ker-37, Kern County, CA, by E.W. 
Gifford, and donated to the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology in 
the same year. No known individuals were identified. The 117 associated 
funerary objects are 6 textile bag fragments and 111 olivella and clam 
shell beads.
    Characteristics of the associated funerary objects and nonfunerary 
objects removed from site CA-Ker-37 indicate that the burials date to 
the Protohistoric period, the 200-year period prior to European contact 
in the mid-1700s, and to the Historic period.
    In 1932, human remains representing at least five individuals, were 
removed from burials at site CA-Ker-39, a mound site located on the 
shoreline of former Buena Vista Lake, Kern County, CA, by Mr. and Mrs. 
W.D. Strong and W.R. Wedel, and were donated to the Phoebe A. Hearst 
Museum of Anthropology by W.R. Wedel in the same year. Two of the 
individuals are represented by hair. No known individuals were 
identified. The six associated funerary objects are one textile 
fragment and five shell beads.
    Characteristics of the associated funerary objects and nonfunerary 
objects removed from site CA-Ker-39 indicate that the burials date to 
the Protohistoric period, the 200-year period prior to European contact 
in the mid-1700s.
    In 1933, human remains representing one individual were removed 
from a burial at site CA-Ker-40, a mound site located on the shoreline 
of former Buena Vista Lake, Kern County, CA, by W.D. Strong, and were 
donated to the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology in the same 
year. No known individual was identified. The human remains consist of 
hair adhering to the single associated funerary object, a fragment of 
brown cloth.
    In 1948, human remains representing one individual were removed 
from a burial at site CA-Ker-40, Kern County, CA, by H.S. Riddell and 
F.A. Riddell, and were donated to the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of 
Anthropology in the same year. No known individuals were identified. 
The two associated funerary objects are stones.
    Characteristics of the nonfunerary objects removed from site CA-
Ker-40 indicate that the burials date to the Protohistoric period, the 
200-year period prior to European contact in the mid-1700s.
    In 1924, human remains representing at least four individuals were 
removed

[[Page 42757]]

from burials at site CA-Ker-50, a burial site in Elk Hills, near the 
shoreline of former Buena Vista Lake, Kern County, CA, by W.D. Strong, 
who donated these human remains to the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of 
Anthropology in the same year. No known individuals were identified. 
The 51 associated funerary objects are fragments of the matting in 
which the human remains were wrapped at the time of burial, 1 lot of 
pinkish powder, 2 abalone ornaments, 33 shell beads, 4 bone tubes, 7 
projectile points, and 3 projectile point fragments.
    Characteristics of the associated funerary objects and nonfunerary 
objects removed from site CA-Ker-50 indicate that this burial site was 
in use during the Protohistoric period, the 200-year period immediately 
prior to European contact in the mid-1700s.
    In 1899, human remains representing at least nine individuals were 
removed from burials at site CA-Ker-53, a habitation and burial site 
near Buttonwillow, Kern County, CA, by P.M. Jones, who donated the 
human remains to the Museum of Paleontology, University of California, 
Berkeley in the same year. Some time prior to 1902, the Museum of 
Paleontology transferred the human remains to the Phoebe A. Hearst 
Museum of Anthropology. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Characteristics of other objects removed from site CA-Ker-53 
indicate that this settlement was inhabited during the Protohistoric 
period, the 200-year period immediately prior to European contact in 
the mid-1700s.
    In 1949, human remains representing at least 15 individuals were 
removed from burials at site CA-Ker-74, located on high ground a few 
miles southeast of the former shoreline of Tulare Lake, Kern County, 
CA, by members of the California Archaeological Survey, and were 
donated to the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology in the same 
year. No known individuals were identified. The 49 associated funerary 
objects are 35 shell beads, 12 glass beads, and 2 abalone pendants.
    Characteristics of the associated funerary objects of Euroamerican 
origin indicate that the settlement was inhabited between approximately 
1810 and 1860.
    The burial contexts identify the human remains removed from sites 
in Kern County, CA, as being Native American. Linguistic evidence 
indicates that this region of California was inhabited by Native 
American Yokuts speakers. Archeological research suggests that these 
burial and habitation sites date to a relatively late time period. 
Consultation with present-day Yokuts groups documents an oral history 
of continued habitation of an area encompassing Kern County, CA, that 
includes the Protohistoric and Historic periods. Historical sources 
corroborate oral history. Modern descendants of Yokuts speakers are the 
Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa 
Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table 
Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule 
River Reservation, California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Rancheria of 
California.
    Officials of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of at least 77 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the Phoebe A. 
Hearst Museum of Anthropology also have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 226 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 Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), there is a 
relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced 
between the Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects and the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California; 
Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; 
Table Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the 
Tule River Reservation, California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk 
Rancheria of California.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact C. Richard Hitchcock, NAGPRA Coordinator, Phoebe 
A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, 
Berkeley, CA 94720, telephone (510) 642-6096, before August 18, 2003. 
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to 
the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa 
Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table 
Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule 
River Reservation, California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Rancheria of 
California may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology is responsible for 
notifying the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California; 
Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; 
Table Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the 
Tule River Reservation, California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk 
Rancheria of California that this notice has been published.

    Dated: June 12, 2003.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources.
[FR Doc. 03-18208 Filed 7-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-S