[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 161 (Wednesday, August 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50187-50189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21340]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: The University of Montana, 
Missoula, MT

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 University of Montana, Missoula, MT. 
The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from 
various locations in western Montana.
    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.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by The 
University of Montana professional staff in consultation with the 
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, 
Montana.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC01) representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of 
the Continental Divide. Some of the human remains are stained with a 
red substance likely to be ocher, which is consistent with a 
prehistoric Native American secondary burial practice. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC10) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. The human remains are weathered to an extent 
consistent with an age of several hundred years, and the human remains 
therefore probably are associated with the prehistoric Native American 
inhabitants of Montana. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC11) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. Some of the human remains are stained with a red 
substance likely to be ocher, which is consistent with a prehistoric 
Native American secondary burial practice. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC15) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. Some of the

[[Page 50188]]

human remains are stained with a red substance likely to be ocher, 
which is consistent with a prehistoric Native American secondary burial 
practice. Although the skull is too fragmentary to evaluate ancestry 
with certainty, characteristics of the skull and geographic location 
indicate that the individual was probably Native American. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC17) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. Some of the human remains are stained with a red 
substance likely to be ocher, which is consistent with a prehistoric 
Native American secondary burial practice. Although the skull is too 
fragmentary to evaluate ancestry with certainty, characteristics of the 
skull and geographic location indicate that the individual was probably 
Native American. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    In 1938, human remains (UMFC20) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Mineral County, MT. 
Physical characteristics of the human remains, the types of associated 
funerary objects, and geographic location indicate that the individual 
was probably Native American from late prehistoric or historic times. 
No known individual was identified. The 71 associated funerary objects 
are 39 shell beads, 30 glass beads, and 2 chipped stone artifacts.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC21) representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of 
the Continental Divide. Physical characteristics of one set of human 
remains and geographic location indicate that the individuals were 
probably Native American. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC24) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Sanders County, MT. 
The character of the dental wear is similar to that on prehistoric 
individuals from the region and therefore the individual is most likely 
Native American. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC25) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. The individual is immature, but the observable 
characteristics on the human remains and geographic location indicate 
that the individual was probably Native American. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC34) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. The individual exhibits a mixture of ``Mongoloid'' 
and ``Caucasoid'' characteristics, but the types of associated funerary 
objects make it reasonably certain that the human remains are Native 
American. No known individual was identified. The 80 associated 
funerary objects are 66 shell beads and 14 elk teeth.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC41) representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of 
the Continental Divide. Although the human remains are too fragmentary 
to evaluate ancestry with certainty, some characteristics are present 
that are typical of Native Americans. Moreover, the degree of 
weathering of the human remains is consistent with a prehistoric age, 
and the human remains are therefore considered to be Native American. 
No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects 
are present.
    In 1978, human remains (UMFC48) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the prehistoric archeological site 24SA118 
in Sanders County, MT. Metric analysis of the human remains indicates 
that the individual is of Native American ancestry. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC53) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. The type of the associated funerary objects and 
degree of weathering of the human remains makes the attribution of the 
human remains as Native American from late prehistoric or historic 
times reasonably certain. No known individual was identified. The 17 
associated funerary objects are glass beads.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC67) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. Some of the human remains are stained with a red 
substance likely to be ocher, which is consistent with a prehistoric 
Native American secondary burial practice. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (UMFC72) representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location in Montana west of the 
Continental Divide. Metric analysis and geographic location indicate 
that the individual was probably Native American. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (24MO1017) representing a minimum of 
one individual were removed from prehistoric archeological site 
24MO1017 in Missoula County, MT. Metric analysis and geographic 
location indicate that the individual was probably Native American. No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Prior to 1991, human remains (24PW1065) representing a minimum of 
one individual were removed from prehistoric archeological site 
24PW1065 in Powell County, MT. Metric analysis and geographic location 
indicate that the individual was probably Native American. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    At various unknown times before 1991, local law enforcement 
officials from the counties from which the human remains described 
above were removed presented the human remains to the Montana State 
Medical Examiner and The University of Montana, Department of 
Anthropology physical anthropologists for analysis. Local Sheriffs/
Coroners had custody of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects until May 2002. At that time, The University of Montana sought 
and received custody of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects from the law enforcement officials for the purpose of returning 
them to Native American tribes pursuant to applicable State and Federal 
laws.
    In 1999, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were left at The University of Montana by an unknown individual who did 
not disclose the location or date of discovery of the human remains 
other than the fact that they came from the Seeley Lake area of 
Missoula County, MT. Metric analysis and geographic location indicate 
that the individual was probably Native American. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The region from which all of the human remains described above 
originated was inhabited during prehistoric and historic times by the 
ancestors of the present-day

[[Page 50189]]

Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, 
Montana. On the basis of oral traditions; geographic, kinship, 
archeological, anthropological, and historical data; and study of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects, The University of 
Montana has determined that the human remains and associated funerary 
objects are culturally affiliated with members of the Confederated 
Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Montana.
    Officials of The University of Montana have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above 
represent the physical remains of 21 individuals of Native American 
ancestry. Officials of The University of Montana also have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 168 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 University of Montana 
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 human remains and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes 
of the Flathead Reservation, Montana.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Thomas 
A. Foor, Professor, Department of Anthropology, The University of 
Montana, Missoula, MT 59806, telephone (406) 243-2971, before September 
19, 2003. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead 
Reservation, Montana may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The University of Montana is responsible for notifying the 
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, 
Montana that this notice has been published.

    Dated: July 9, 2003.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources.
[FR Doc. 03-21340 Filed 8-19-03; 8:45 am]
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