[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 104 (Wednesday, June 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 31519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10815]



[[Page 31519]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: California State University, Long 
Beach, Long Beach, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service.

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 California State University, Long Beach, 
Long Beach, CA. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from site 4-SJo-17, San Joaquin County, CA.
    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 and associated funerary objects. The National 
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by California 
State University, Long Beach professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-wuk Indians of 
California; California Valley Miwok Tribe, California; Chicken Ranch 
Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California; Ione Band of Miwok Indians 
of California; Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California; 
Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa 
Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California (also known as 
the Tachi Yokut Tribe); Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle 
Springs Rancheria (Verona Tract), California; Table Mountain Rancheria 
of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, 
California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne 
Rancheria of California.

    In 1967, human remains representing 240 individuals were removed 
during a salvage excavation project at 4-SJo-17 on private property in 
San Joaquin County, CA. Faculty and students from what was then Long 
Beach State College (now California State University, Long Beach) and 
local volunteers conducted the excavations. No known individuals were 
identified. The 1,876 associated funerary objects are 398 chipped stone 
tools and fragments, 66 ground or polished stone tools and fragments, 
744 fragments of non-human bone, 640 shell beads, and 28 pieces of 
ceramics or fired clay.
    Based on burial patterns and artifact types, the human remains and 
associated funerary objects are dated to the Middle Horizon (2,500-
2,000 B.P.). The establishment of a cultural chronology of the 4-SJo-17 
collection relied upon the California Prehistoric Cultural Chronology 
and Artifact Classification System used by most regional archeologists. 
Multiple lines of evidence were used to determine the antiquity of this 
collection. Geographic, linguistic, archeological, and ethnographic 
evidence, as well as oral historical evidence presented at 
consultation, were used to determine cultural affiliation to the 
Eastern Miwok and Central Valley Yokuts peoples. The Eastern Miwok and 
Yokuts cultures of the Late Horizon (from 1,500 years ago to the 
European contact) are believed to have descended from the Middle 
Horizon cultures represented at this site, which lies on the border of 
the traditional territory of the Eastern Miwok and the Northern Valley 
Yokuts.
    Officials of California State University, Long Beach, in 
consultation with the University's Committee on Native American Burial 
Remains and Cultural Patrimony, have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent a 
minimum of 240 individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of 
California State University, Long Beach, in consultation with the 
Committee on Native American Burial Remains and Cultural Patrimony, 
also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 1,876 
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 California 
State University, Long Beach, in consultation with the University's 
Committee on Native American Burial Remains and Cultural Patrimony, 
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 Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-wuk Indians of California; 
California Valley Miwok Tribe, California; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of 
Me-Wuk Indians of California; Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California; 
Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California; Picayune Rancheria 
of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of 
the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California (also known as the Tachi Yokut 
Tribe); Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs 
Rancheria (Verona Tract), California; Table Mountain Rancheria of 
California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, 
California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne 
Rancheria of California.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Keith Ian Polakoff, Associate Vice President for 
Academic Affairs, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, 
California, 90840-0118; telephone: (562) 985-4128, before July 1, 2005. 
The Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California 
(also known as the Tachi Yokut Tribe) has submitted a written claim to 
the California State University, Long Beach for repatriation of these 
cultural items. Repatriation of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa 
Rancheria, California (also known as the Tachi Yokut Tribe), may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    California State University, Long Beach is responsible for 
notifying the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-wuk Indians of California; 
California Valley Miwok Tribe, California; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of 
Me-Wuk Indians of California; Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California; 
Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California; Picayune Rancheria 
of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of 
the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California (also known as Tachi Yokut Tribe, 
California); Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs 
Rancheria (Verona Tract), California; Table Mountain Rancheria of 
California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, 
California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne 
Rancheria of California that this notice has been published.

    Dated: May 20, 2005
Paul Hoffman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 05-10815 Filed 5-31-05; 8:45 am]
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