[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 58 (Thursday, March 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15369-15371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-6643]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: State Historical 
Society of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

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), 43 CFR 10.8 (f), of the 
intent to repatriate cultural items in the possession of the State 
Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, that meet the definition of 
``unassociated funerary objects'' under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR 10.8 (f). The 
determinations within this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the cultural 
items. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations within this notice.
    The 415 cultural items are 272 chipped and ground stone tools, 
flakes, and debris; 1 unmodified stone; 4 catlinite and limestone 
pipes; 4 pieces of worked hematite; 15 ceramic pots and 7 ceramic 
sherds; 1 metal bead; 11 metal ornaments; 5 iron tools and fragments; 1 
copper tool; 7 copper bracelets; 1 copper ear pendant; 1 copper snake; 
5 copper tubes; 20 copper beads; 1 piece of worked bone; 15 worked bone 
beads; 19 worked bone tools; 1 worked bone whistle; 8 pieces of 
unworked animal bone; 1 piece of sinew from a necklace; 3 clamshell 
spoons; 1 piece of worked shell; 2 shell beads; and 9 glass beads and 
fragments.
    In 1930, Dr. F.J. Becker, a collector of archeological materials 
from Iowa sites, donated a portion of his collection to the State 
Historical Society of Iowa. Among the items in the collection were two 
cultural items that, according to museum documentation, were found in a 
grave in the Upper Iowa River valley, Allamakee County, northeastern 
Iowa (Site 13AMOq). The two cultural items are a single tubular copper 
bead with a short length of braided sinew preserved inside it. 
According to museum documentation, the bead was the largest of a number 
of beads forming a necklace. The State Historical Society of Iowa is 
not in possession of the human remains from this burial.
    The exact location of the burial site is not known, but two factors 
suggest that the grave may have been an Oneota interment. The site is 
in an area of known Oneota habitation and cemetery sites, and the style 
and method of manufacture of the bead, as well as its excellent state 
of preservation, suggest that it dates to the protohistoric or early 
Historic/Contact period. Evidence presented during consultation 
indicates that the cultural items from the site are consistent with 
Oneota material culture and that the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe 
of Kansas and Nebraska; and

[[Page 15370]]

Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma are the present-day tribes 
most closely affiliated with the protohistoric and historic Oneota 
culture.
    In two donations in 1933 and 1947, Ellison Orr donated his 
collection, known as the Orr Donation, to the State Historical Society 
of Iowa. Some of the materials were collected by Mr. Orr during 
excavations he conducted in the 1930s under the direction of Charles R. 
Keyes. Museum documentation indicates that 53 cultural items were 
recovered from burials in Iowa, although the specific location of the 
burials is unknown. The 53 cultural items are 18 chipped stone tools 
and flakes, 2 catlinite pipes, 1 hematite ornament, 4 shell-tempered 
ceramic pots, 1 shell-tempered ceramic sherd; 7 copper bracelets, 1 
copper ear pendant, 1 copper snake, 1 copper bead; 3 copper tubes, 1 
metal bead, 2 metal spiral ear ornaments, 4 bone beads; 2 bone shaft 
straighteners, 3 antler points; and 2 cervid phalanges. The State 
Historical Society of Iowa is not in possession of the human remains 
from this burial.
    Evidence presented during consultation indicates that the cultural 
items in the Orr Donation are consistent with Oneota material culture 
and that the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; 
and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma are the present-day 
tribes most closely affiliated with the protohistoric and historic 
Oneota culture.

    In 1934, during excavations undertaken by Ellison Orr, under the 
direction of Charles R. Keyes, on behalf of the State Historical 
Society of Iowa, at the O'Regan Terrace site (13AM21), Allamakee 
County, northeastern Iowa, 76 cultural items were removed from burials. 
The 76 cultural items are 38 chipped and ground stone tools, flakes, 
and debris; 1 unmodified stone; 4 shell-tempered ceramic pots; 2 iron 
knives; 3 pieces of iron; 18 copper tubes beads; 1 metal spiral ear 
ornament; 2 bone awls; 1 bison or elk scapula hoe; and 6 glass bead 
fragments. The State Historical Society of Iowa is not in possession of 
the human remains from these burials.
    The O'Regan Terrace site has been identified as an Oneota village 
and cemetery on the basis of material culture and site typology. 
Evidence presented during consultation indicates that the cultural 
items from this site are consistent with Oneota material culture and 
that the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; and 
Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma are the present-day tribes 
most closely affiliated with the protohistoric and historic Oneota 
culture.
    In 1934, Ellison Orr and Charles Keyes undertook excavations on 
behalf of the State Historical Society of Iowa at the Elephant Terrace 
site (13AM59), on the north side of the Upper Iowa River, Allamakee 
County, IA. Mr. Orr and Mr. Keyes recovered 18 cultural items during 
excavations in 1934, and Mr. Orr obtained 2 cultural items from an 
unnamed individual who reported having taken them from a burial at this 
site. The 20 cultural items are 18 chipped and ground stone tools and 
flakes; 1 shell-tempered ceramic pot; and 1 copper awl. The State 
Historical Society of Iowa is not in possession of the human remains 
from these burials.
    The Elephant Terrace site includes a Woodland-period habitation 
site and an Oneota village with an associated cemetery. On the basis of 
typology and style, the ceramic pot and the chert knife are 
identifiable as Oneota. Evidence presented during consultation 
indicates that the cultural items from this site are consistent with 
Oneota material culture and that the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe 
of Kansas and Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma 
are the present-day tribes most closely affiliated with the 
protohistoric and historic Oneota culture.
    In 1896, Ellison Orr recovered five cultural items from Woolstrom 
cemetery (13AM61), Allamakee County, IA, and donated them to the State 
Historical Society in 1933. In 1936, Mr. Orr recovered an additional 
four cultural items from the same site, and at an unknown date, he 
received one cultural item from an unknown individual, which also came 
from Woolstrom cemetery. The 10 cultural items are 3 chipped and ground 
stone tools, 3 bone awls, 1 bone whistle, 1 piece of worked bone, 1 
bird bone, and 1 cervid phalanx. The State Historical Society of Iowa 
is not in possession of human remains from these burials.
    The Woolstrom cemetery site is one of several cemeteries along Bear 
Creek, a major tributary of the Upper Iowa River, Allamakee County, IA, 
that Mr. Keyes, Mr. Orr, and others identified as Oneota on the basis 
of material culture and site typology. Evidence presented during 
consultation indicates that the cultural items from this site are 
consistent with Oneota material culture and that the Iowa Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe 
of Indians, Oklahoma are the present-day tribes most closely affiliated 
with the protohistoric and historic Oneota culture.
    In 1936, Ellison Orr recovered 42 cultural items during excavations 
on behalf of the State Historical Society of Iowa at Burke's Mound 
(13AM67), a cemetery site on the north side of Bear Creek about a mile 
west of its confluence with the Upper Iowa River, Allamakee County, IA. 
Records indicate that Mr. Orr was also given 9 cultural items from this 
site by various collectors. The 51 cultural items are 24 ground and 
chipped stone tools, 2 worked hematite pieces, 1 limestone pipe, 3 
shell-tempered ceramic pots, 7 metal spiral ear ornaments, 1 copper 
bead, 4 bone awls, 1 bison rib shaft straightener, 4 bone beads, 1 
shell bead, and 3 clamshell spoons. The State Historical Society of 
Iowa, Keyes Collection is not in possession of the human remains from 
these burials.
    Archeological evidence indicates that the Burke's Mound site is an 
Oneota cemetery. Evidence presented during consultation indicates that 
the cultural items from this site are consistent with Oneota material 
culture and that the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and 
Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma are the 
present-day tribes most closely affiliated with the protohistoric and 
historic Oneota culture.
    In 1936, during excavations conducted by Ellison Orr on behalf of 
the State Historical Society of Iowa at Hogback Mound Group (13AM86), 
119 cultural items were recovered. The Hogback Mound Group is located 
between the Upper Iowa River and Bear Creek, Allamakee County, IA. The 
119 cultural items, which were recovered from Oneota burial contexts, 
are 103 chipped and ground stone tools, flakes, and debris; 1 limestone 
pipe; 1 metal spiral ear ornament; 1 worked antler tine; 1 bone arrow 
shaft straightener; 1 bone awl; 6 bone beads; 1 shell bead; 1 worked 
clamshell; and 3 glass beads. The State Historical Society of Iowa is 
not in possession of the human remains from these burials.
    The Hogback Mound Group site contains mounds that were constructed 
during the late Middle Woodland period (circa A.D. 200-400), but were 
subsequently used as burial sites for Oneota people living in the area 
in the early Historic/Contact period. Evidence presented during 
consultation indicates that the cultural items from this site are 
consistent with Oneota material culture and that the Iowa Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe 
of Indians, Oklahoma are the present-day tribes most closely affiliated 
with the protohistoric and historic Oneota culture.

[[Page 15371]]

    In 1934 and 1936, Ellison Orr recovered 24 cultural items from 
burials at the Lane Farm Mounds site (13AM104) on the Hartley Terrace 
overlooking the Upper Iowa River, Allamakee County, IA. The excavations 
were undertaken on behalf of the State Historical Society of Iowa. The 
24 cultural items are 11 chipped stone tools, flakes, and debris; 1 
piece of polished hematite; 1 shell-tempered ceramic pot and 6 shell-
tempered ceramic sherds; 1 bone or quill fragment; and 4 bison or elk 
scapula hoes. The State Historical Society of Iowa is not in possession 
of the human remains from these burials.
    The Lane Farm Mounds complex includes a Late Woodland habitation 
site, an Oneota village, and burial mounds that were used by both the 
Woodland and Oneota populations. Excavation records indicate that the 
items were identified by Mr. Orr as Oneota. Evidence presented during 
consultation indicates that the cultural items from this site are 
consistent with Oneota material culture and that the Iowa Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe 
of Indians, Oklahoma are the present-day tribes most closely affiliated 
with the protohistoric and historic Oneota culture.
    In 1934 and 1936, Charles Keyes and Ellison Orr on behalf of the 
State Historical Society of Iowa collected 61 cultural items from the 
New Galena Mounds site (13AM108), located on a terrace on the south 
side of the Upper Iowa River about .5 mile west of its confluence with 
Bear Creek in Allamakee County, IA. The 61 cultural items are 57 
chipped and ground stone tools, flakes, and debris; 2 shell-tempered 
ceramic pots, and 2 copper tubes. The State Historical Society of Iowa 
is not in possession of the human remains from these burials.
    The New Galena Mounds are Woodland-period burial mounds with 
intrusive Oneota burials. The cultural items derive from the Oneota 
burials. Evidence presented during consultation indicates that the 
cultural items from this site are consistent with Oneota material 
culture and that the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and 
Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma are the 
present-day tribes most closely affiliated with the protohistoric and 
historic Oneota culture.
    Officials of the State Historical Society of Iowa have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the 415 cultural items 
described above are reasonably believed to have been placed with or 
near human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death 
rite or ceremony and are believed, by a preponderance of the evidence, 
to have been removed from specific burial sites of Native American 
individuals. Officials of the State Historical Society of Iowa 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 unassociated funerary objects and the Iowa Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe 
of Indians, Oklahoma.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Jerome Thompson, State Historical Society of Iowa, New 
Historical Building, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319-0290, 
telephone (515) 281-4221, before April 26, 2004. Repatriation of the 
unassociated funerary objects to the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe 
of Kansas and Nebraska; and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma 
may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The State Histocial Society of Iowa is responsible for notifying 
the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; and 
Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: February 9, 2004.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources.
[FR Doc. 04-6643 Filed 3-24-04; 8:45 am]
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