[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58139-58140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25535]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Oregon Museum of 
Natural History, Eugene, OR, and U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps 
of Engineers, Portland District, Portland, OR

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 for which the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History, 
Eugene, OR, and the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of 
Engineers, Portland District, Portland, OR, have joint responsibility. 
The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from 
sites on Army Corps of Engineers land located in Morrow County, OR, and 
Benton, County, WA, within the John Day Dam project area.
    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 Army 
Corps of Engineers, Portland District and University of Oregon Museum 
of Natural History professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, 
Oregon.
    Native American cultural items described in this notice were 
excavated under Antiquities Act permits by the University of Oregon, 
Eugene, OR, on Army Corps of Engineers project lands. Following 
excavations at the sites described below, and under the provisions of 
the permits, the University of Oregon was allowed to retain the 
collections for preservation.
    In 1958, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from the Crow Butte site (45 BN 58), near Blalock Island, 
Benton County, WA, within the John Day Dam project area. No known 
individual was identified. The five associated funerary objects are 
three dentalium beads and two olivella beads.
    The Crow Butte site is a campsite and burial site, and its dates of 
occupation are unknown. Based on the types of associated funerary 
objects and tooth wear, the individual has been determined to be Native 
American.
    In 1963, human remains representing a minimum of four individuals 
were removed from the Eye site (45 BN 64), on Little Blalock Island, 
Benton County, WA, in the Columbia River, within the John Day Dam 
project area. No known individuals were identified. The two associated 
funerary objects are one projectile point and one shell bead.
    The Eye site is a village and cemetery site dating after A.D. 1750. 
Based on the types of associated funerary objects, the individuals have 
been determined to be Native American.
    In 1963, human remains representing a minimum of 12 individuals 
were removed from site 45 BN 77 on Coyote Island, Benton County, WA, in 
the Columbia River, within the John Day Dam project area. No known 
individuals were identified. The 874 associated funerary objects are 8 
projectile points, 251 glass beads, 64 copper beads, 23 shell beads, 20 
olivella beads, 214 shell and glass beads, 2 bone beads, 18 beads, 102 
bones, 16 flakes, 103 pieces of glass, 34 pieces of copper, 3 copper 
pendants, 1 copper button, 1 graver, 1 scraper, 2 choppers, 2 flaked 
cobbles, 2 sinkers, 2 shells, 1 lot of raw material for beads, 2 shaft 
straighteners, 1 uniface, and 1 nail.
    Site 45 BN 77 is a campsite and burial site that was occupied 
during the historic period. Based on the types of associated funerary 
objects, the individuals have been determined to be Native American.
    In 1963, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from site 45 BN 81 on Blalock Island, Benton County, WA, 
in the Columbia River within the John Day Dam project area. No known 
individual was identified. The 26 associated funerary objects are 10 
glass beads, 14 shell beads, 1 piece of copper, and 1 copper button.
    Site 45 BN 81 is a campsite and burial site dating to the 
protohistoric and historic periods. Based on the types of associated 
funerary objects, the human remains have been determined to be Native 
American.
    In 1967, human remains representing a minimum of two individuals 
were removed from the Tom's Camp site (35 MW 10), 3 miles west of the 
former town of Boardman, Morrow County, OR, on the south bank of the 
Columbia River, in the John Day Dam project area. No known individuals 
were identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The Tom's Camp site is a midden with burials dating from 
approximately 1800 B.P. to 500 B.P. Based on artifacts excavated in the 
general area, the individuals have been determined to be Native 
American.
    The sites described above are within the traditional lands of the 
present-day Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Oregon. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Oregon was established by the Stevens Treaty of 1855 and consists of 
three tribes: Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla. All three tribes 
belong to the Sahaptin language group, each tribe's speaking a separate 
dialect of Sahaptin. Historically, these tribes occupied over 6 million 
acres of land in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. The 
Umatilla Indian Reservation and ceded lands roughly include the areas 
bounded by the Columbia and Snake Rivers on the north to Willow Creek 
on the west to Tucannon River on the east.

[[Page 58140]]

    Officials of the Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of a minimum number of 
20 individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the Army Corps 
of Engineers, Portland District also have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 907 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 Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District 
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 Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Oregon.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Ms. Gail Celmer, NAGPRA Coordinator, 
Environmental Resources Branch, U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps 
of Engineers, Portland District, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-
2946, telephone (503) 808-4762, before November 7, 2003. Repatriation 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Army Corp of Engineers, Portland District is responsible for 
notifying the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Oregon that this notice has been published.

    Date: August 7, 2003
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources
[FR Doc. 03-25535 Filed 10-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-S