[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58132-58133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25533]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO

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 in the possession of the 
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO. The human remains were removed from an 
unidentified location near Prescott, Yavapai County, AZ.
    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. The National Park Service is not 
responsible for the determinations within this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Denver Art 
Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah; 
Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New 
Mexico; Yavapai-Prescott Tribe of the Yavapai Reservation, Arizona; 
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, 
New Mexico.
    Prior to 1943, human remains representing one individual were 
removed by an unknown individual from an unidentified location near 
Prescott, Yavapai County, AZ. The human remains consist of 29 teeth 
from a single individual between 25 and 45 years old. No known 
individual was identified. The teeth, along with a large number of 
small shell beads, had been made into a necklace. On March 18, 1943, 
the necklace was loaned to the Denver Art Museum by Sarah Coolidge 
Vance. The necklace was accessioned as a gift on January 21, 1946. A 
catalog card identified the necklace as ``prehistoric'' and ``[f]rom 
ruins near Prescott, Ariz[ona].'' There is no indication that the 
necklace was recovered from a grave site. The shells

[[Page 58133]]

attached to necklace do not meet the definition of associated funerary 
objects at 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A).
    The necklace was examined by Bridget Ambler, an archeologist at the 
Colorado Historical Society. Ms. Ambler identified the teeth as more 
likely than not being from a Native American individual, probably of 
Puebloan ancestry. Comparison of the necklace to documentation of 
Puebloan ruins in the area of Prescott, AZ, led Ms. Ambler to conclude 
that it is likely to be associated with the Prescott culture and to 
date to the Pueblo II period (A.D. 1100 to 1200). Ms. Ambler also 
concluded that a member of the Prescott culture owned and perhaps 
assembled the necklace.
    Yavapai oral tradition indicates a possible cultural affiliation 
with the prehistoric Prescott culture. Some scholars believe that the 
Prescott culture was ancestral to modern-day Yuman speaking Yavapai, 
Havasupai, and other groups, but this belief is not accepted by most 
archeologists. Hopi oral tradition also indicates a possible cultural 
affiliation with the Prescott culture.
    The placement of human teeth on a necklace is not a commonly 
observed funerary practice in the ancient Southwest. It may be 
reasonable to presume that the use of teeth on the necklace occurred in 
the context of warfare and that the teeth originated from a member of a 
Puebloan group that engaged in conflict with the Prescott culture. 
Pueblo of Laguna representative Paul Pino indicated that the Lagunas 
would never allow a necklace to be made out of human teeth. Mr. Pino 
agreed that the necklace could well have been produced by a member of 
the Prescott culture as a trophy to hold teeth taken from a slain enemy 
from a neighboring Puebloan community. Pueblo oral traditions and 
archeological evidence indicate that ancient Puebloan societies have a 
relationship of shared group identity with 21 modern Pueblo 
communities.
    Officials of the Denver Art Museum have determined that, pursuant 
to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent 
the physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the Denver Art Museum also 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 the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo 
Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and 
Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Nancy J. 
Blomberg, Curator of Native Arts, Denver Art Museum, 100 West 14th 
Avenue Parkway, Denver, CO 80204, telephone (720) 913-0160, before 
November 7, 2003. Repatriation of the human remains to the Hopi Tribe 
of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Zia, New Mexico; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The Denver Art Museum is responsible for notifying the Hopi Tribe 
of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah; Pueblo of 
Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San 
Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
Yavapai-Prescott Tribe of the Yavapai Reservation, Arizona; Ysleta del 
Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico 
that this notice has been published.


    Dated: August 11, 2003.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources.
[FR Doc. 03-25533 Filed 10-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-S