[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76865-76866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24509]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service, Interior.


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Thomas Burke 
Memorial Washington State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Native American 
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the 
intent to repatriate cultural items in the possession of the Thomas 
Burke Memorial Washington State Museum (Burke Museum), University of 
Washington, Seattle, WA, 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, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3). The 
determinations in this notice are the sold 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 in this notice.
    The 12 cultural items are 7 beaded necklaces (beads include glass 
trade beads, shell beads, and copper beads), 1 bracelet, 3 sets of pipe 
fragments, and 1 piece of twine.
    At an unknown date, the 12 cultural items were removed from a small 
island just upriver from Blalock Island in the lower Columbia River, 
Benton County, WA, by Mr. John Tomaske, an archaeology graduate student 
of the University of Washington. In 1960, the cultural items were 
donated to the University of Washington Department of Anthropology, and 
subsequently transferred to the Burke Museum and accessioned in 1973 
(Burke Accn. 1973-8). Accession information indicated the 
presence of burials at the site. According to Mr. Tomaske, the burials 
had previously been disturbed and exhibited evidence of cremation. The 
human remains are not in the possession of the Burke Museum.
    The small island just upriver from Blalock Island described in 
museum records could be Cook's Island, which was formerly recorded as 
containing cremation burials. Archaeological evidence for Cook's Island 
supports the presence of cremation burials. Cremation and burial on 
islands in the Columbia River were customary practices of the Umatilla. 
It was also the practice of the Umatilla that individuals were buried 
with many of their personal belongings. The area surrounding Blalock 
Island was heavily utilized by the Umatilla, including ama'amapa, which 
served as a habitation area, burial site, and stronghold from enemies. 
On Blalock Island, and along the Washington side of the Columbia River, 
the Umatilla had a permanent camp, Yep-po-luc-sha (or Yep-po-kuc-sha), 
as well as a fishing area.
    Burial practices and funerary objects described are consistent with 
historic practices of the present-day Confederated Tribes of the 
Umatilla Reservation, Oregon. The area surrounding Blalock Island is 
within the aboriginal territory of the Confederated Tribes of the 
Umatilla Reservation, Oregon and the land claims boundaries of the 
Indian Claims Commission decision of 1960.
    Officials of the Burke Museum have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), the 12 cultural items 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 and 
are believed, by a preponderance of the evidence, to have been removed 
from a specific burial site of a Native American individual. Officials 
of the Burke Museum 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 funerary objects and the Confederated Tribes 
of the Umatilla Reservation, Oregon.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Dr. Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 
353010, Seattle, WA 98195-3010, telephone (206) 685-2282, before 
January 27, 2006. Repatriation of the unassociated funerary objects to 
the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, Oregon may proceed 
after that date if no additional claimants come forward.

[[Page 76866]]

    The Burke Museum is responsible for notifying the Confederated 
Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, Oregon that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: December 6, 2005.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 05-24509 Filed 12-27-05; 8:45 am]
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