[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 16837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-6461]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: American Museum of Natural 
History, New York, NY

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 
American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY. The human remains 
were collected from the Mescalero Indian Reservation, Otero County, NM.

    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 in 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 in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by American 
Museum of Natural History professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero 
Reservation, New Mexico.
    In 1900, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were collected from the Mescalero Indian Reservation, Otero County, NM, 
by Dr. McLutterell, identified in the Museum's catalog as ``the 
agent.'' The American Museum of Natural History obtained the remains as 
a gift from Dr. Ales Hrdlicka. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    This individual has been identified as Native American based on the 
Museum's catalog identification of the remains as Mescalero Apache. The 
human remains originate from the Mescalero Reservation. The presence of 
desiccated soft tissue indicates that the human remains may be of 
relatively recent age.
    Although the lands from which the human remains originate are 
currently under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the 
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the American Museum of Natural 
History has control of the human remains since their removal from 
tribal land predates the permit requirements established by the 
Antiquities Act of 1906.
    Officials of the American Museum of Natural History have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9[macr]10), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry. Officials of the American Museum of Natural 
History 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 Mescalero 
Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Nell 
Murphy, Director of Cultural Resources, American Museum of Natural 
History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 
10024[macr]5192, telephone (212) 769[macr]5837, before May 2, 2005. 
Repatriation of the human remains to the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the 
Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The American Museum of Natural History is responsible for notifying 
the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: February 11, 2005.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 05-6461 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S