[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 236 (Friday, December 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73260-73261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23866]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Defense, Naval 
Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA, and Maturango Museum, Ridgecrest, 
CA

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 in the control of the U.S. Department of Defense, Naval Air 
Weapons Station (NAWS), China Lake, CA, and in the physical custody of 
the Maturango Museum, Ridgecrest, CA. The human remains and funerary 
objects were removed from NAWS sites in the Coso Mountains, Inyo 
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 and funerary objects was 
made by the NAWS professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone 
Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, California; Bridgeport Paiute 
Indian Colony of California; Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of 
California; Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the 
Fort Independence Reservation, California; Kern River Valley Indian 
Community (a non-federally recognized Indian group); Paiute-Shoshone 
Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; and 
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the Lone Pine 
Reservation, California.
    In 1967, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from Ray Cave (CA-INY-444), Inyo County, CA, by excavators 
under the direction of Mr. R.J. Fitzwater and Dr. Charles Rozaire. No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Site occupation was prehistoric and historic, from 2,000 B.C. to 
A.D. 650, as determined by radiocarbon tests of buried charcoal, 
obsidian hydration dating, and analysis of diagnostic artifacts. The 
consulting archeologist was unable to determine cultural affiliation 
archeologically; however, the NAWS archeological staff has determined 
the human remains to be Panamint Shoshone, ancestors of the present-day 
Timbi-sha Shoshone, based on ethnography and on the probable 
prehistoric distribution of Numic languages in the Southwestern Great 
Basin.
    Between 1967 and 1969, human remains representing a minimum of ten 
individuals were removed from Chapman Caves I and II (CA-INY-1534A and 
B), Inyo County, CA, by excavators under the direction of Dr. Tim 
Hillebrand. No known individuals were identified. The 3,238 associated 
funerary objects are 16 arrow shafts, 1

[[Page 73261]]

asphaltum, 3 pieces of baked clay, 72 basketry fragments, 25 beads, 26 
bifaces, 1,246 faunal bones, 26 pieces of charcoal, 37 clay items, 8 
cloth fragments, 4 cobble core tools, 12 coprolites, 10 pieces of 
cordage, 1 crystal, 1,268 pieces of debitage, 60 flake tools, 2 insect 
remains, 5 leather fragments, 1 metal item, 5 groundstones, 10 
miscellaneous stones, 3 modified bone tools, 2 modified organics, 6 
modified wood or organic items, 95 organic fragments, 3 unidentified 
historic items, 2 pendants, 2 pigment samples, 12 projectile points, 
269 seeds, and 6 sherds. Other artifacts associated with the burials 
are currently missing from the collection.
    Site occupation spans the Prehistoric and Historic periods (A.D. 
500 to the 1800s), as determined by radiocarbon tests of buried 
charcoal, obsidian hydration dating, and analysis of diagnostic 
artifacts. The human remains have been determined to be Panamint 
Shoshone, ancestors of the present-day Timbi-sha Shoshone, by the 
consulting archeologist, based on osteological analysis of the remains, 
time span of the deposits, analysis of burial customs, and 
characteristics of associated artifacts.
    In 1981, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from the Open-Air Midden locus of site State Primary 
No.14-5488 by excavators under the direction of Dr. Phil Wilke. No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Site occupation was prehistoric, from 2,000 B.C. to A.D. 1350, as 
determined by analysis of diagnostic artifacts. The NAWS archeological 
staff has determined that the human remains are Panamint Shoshone, 
ancestors of the present-day Timbi-sha Shoshone, based on ethnography 
and on the probable prehistoric distribution of Numic languages in the 
Southwestern Great Basin.
    In 1989, human remains representing a minimum of two individuals 
were excavated from site CA-INY-2847, Inyo County, CA, by Dr. C.W. 
Clewlow, Jr., and NAWS China Lake archeological personnel. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were reinterred immediately 
following excavation, except for two bone fragments. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    The human remains were dated from associated artifacts to between 
1,350 and 4,000 B.P. The NAWS archeological staff has determined the 
human remains to be Panamint Shoshone, ancestors of the present-day 
Timbi-sha Shoshone, based on ethnography and on the probable 
prehistoric distribution of Numic languages in the Southwestern Great 
Basin.
    Officials of the NAWS have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 
3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent the physical 
remains of 14 individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the 
NAWS also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 
3,238 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 
NAWS 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 human remains and associated funerary objects and the Death 
Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band 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 Mr. Russell Kaldenberg, Cultural Resources 
Program Manager, at Code N45NCW, 429 E. Bowen Road, Mail Stop 4014, 
Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, CA 93555, telephone (760) 939-
1350 before January 9, 2006. Repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects to the Death Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band 
of California may proceed after that date if no additional claimants 
come forward.
    The NAWS is responsible for notifying the Big Pine Band of Owens 
Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, California; 
Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California; Death Valley Timbi-Sha 
Shoshone Band of California; Fort Independence Indian Community of 
Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation, California; Kern 
River Valley Indian Community (a non-federally recognized Indian 
group); Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop 
Colony, California; and Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine 
Community of the Lone Pine Reservation, California that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: November 3, 2005
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA program.
[FR Doc. 05-23866 Filed 12-8-05; 8:45 am]
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