[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61839-61840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21332]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Horner Collection, Oregon State 
University, Corvallis, 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 in the possession of the 
Horner Collection, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. The human 
remains were removed from Curry and Lincoln Counties, OR.
    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 Horner 
Collection, Oregon State University professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz 
Reservation, Oregon and the Coquille Tribe of Oregon.
    The Museum of Oregon Country, Oregon Agricultural College was 
renamed the John B. Horner Museum of the Oregon Country in 1936, and 
became commonly known as the Horner Museum. The Oregon Agricultural 
College was renamed the Oregon State College in 1937, and became Oregon 
State University in 1962. The Horner Museum closed in 1995. Currently, 
cultural items from the Horner Museum are referred to as the Horner 
Collection, which is owned by, and in the possession of, Oregon State 
University.
    At an unknown time, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown site near Yachats in Lincoln 
County, OR. In 1968, the human remains were donated by Mrs. P. Mitchell 
to the John B. Horner Museum of the Oregon Country. Mrs. Mitchell told 
museum staff that the human remains were found near Yachats. It is 
unknown if the human remains were removed by Mrs. Mitchell. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The human remains have been identified as Native American dating to 
precontact times based on typical tooth wear. Historical documents, 
ethnographic sources, and oral history indicate that many of the tribes 
that are members of the present-day Confederated Tribes of the Siletz 
Reservation, Oregon have occupied these areas since precontact times, 
including the Alsea/Siuslaw tribe. The Alsea/Siuslaw tribe represents 
the Alsea, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw, Yachats, and Yaquina Native American 
groups. The Alsea/Siuslaw tribe was a signatory to the Oregon Coast 
Treaty of 1855. In 1857, the Alsea/Siuslaw were located on the Siuslaw 
River, Lane County, OR, and their traditional territory extended south 
to Heceta Head, Lane County, OR (Harris 1858). Yachats is near the 
border of Lane and Lincoln Counties, OR. The Alsea/Siuslaw tribe's 
traditional territopry includes both counties. The Alsea/Siuslaw tribe 
is one of the member tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz 
Reservation, Oregon and by 1875, the Alsea/Siuslaw tribe was residing 
on the Siletz Reservation. Therefore, the Confederated Tribes of the 
Siletz Reservation, Oregon have a connection to the area nearYachats 
that includes both Lane and Lincoln Counties, OR. The Alsea/Siuslaw 
tribe is a distinct and separate tribe, and distinguished from the 
Alcea band of Tillamooks, which brought a land claim to the Indian 
Claims Commission in 1955.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of 16

[[Page 61840]]

individuals were removed from an unknown site near Pistol River, Curry 
County, OR. In 1970, Mrs. Dorothy Timeus donated the human remains to 
the museum. According to Mrs. Timeus, the human remains are Native 
American and were found in the sand dunes near the Pistol River. It is 
unknown if the human remains were removed by Mrs. Timeus. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    A letter written by Mr. Harmon Timeus, Mrs. Timeus' son, states, 
``I have checked with several authorities concerning the Indian skulls 
and relics...they are all from the To-To-Tin tribe. There were many 
smaller groups of this tribe. The Chetl-essen-tans is the specific 
group which inhabited the land where the relics were found.'' The 
authorities cited in the letter are unknown. The tribe mentioned in the 
letter is most likely the Chet-less-ing-ton Band of Too-too-to-ney 
tribe, who were located at the eddy of Pistol River in the 1800s. The 
Chet-less-ing-ton were signatories to the Oregon Coast Treaty of 1855 
and by 1857 the Chet-less-ing-ton were residing on the reservation of 
the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Reservation, Oregon (Harris, 
1858). The Chet-less-ing-ton are a subgroup of the Athabaskan/Tututni, 
which is one of the member tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the 
Siletz Reservation, Oregon.

    Officials of the Horner Collection, Oregon State University have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of 17 individuals of 
Native American ancestry. Officials of the Horner Collection, Oregon 
State Unversity 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 
Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Reservation, Oregon.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Sabah 
Randhawa Executive Vice President and Provost, President's Office, 
Oregon State University, 600 Kerr Administration Building, Corvallis, 
OR 97331, telephone (541) 737-8260, before November 25, 2005. 
Repatriation of the human remains to the Confederated Tribes of the 
Siletz Reservation, Oregon may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    Horner Collection, Oregon State University is responsible for 
notifying the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Reservation, Oregon and 
Coquille Tribe of Oregon that this notice has been published.

    Dated: September 28, 2005
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 05-21332 Filed 10-25-05; 8:45 am]
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