[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5365-5366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1268]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Fort Collins Museum, Fort 
Collins, CO

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 
Fort Collins Museum, Fort Collins, CO. The human remains were removed 
from unknown sites, but most likely from Larimer and other Colorado 
counties.
    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 Fort Collins 
Museum professional staff in consultation with physical and forensic 
anthropologists and representatives of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne River 
Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota; Cheyenne-
Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Fort Sill Apache 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne 
Indian Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge 
Reservation, South Dakota; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Rosebud Sioux 
Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Southern Ute 
Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock 
Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & 
Ouray Reservation, Utah; and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah.
    At an unknown time, human remains representing a minimum of 13 
individuals were donated to the Fort Collins Museum, Fort Collins, CO. 
According to museum records and the history of the institution's 
collections, the human remains were most likely removed from Larimer 
and/or surrounding counties. While specific provenience for the human 
remains is unknown, certain osteological evidence and dental 
characteristics suggest that the remains are of probable Native 
American ancestry and are believed to date to before 1880. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Traditional territorial evidence of Arapaho and Cheyenne occupation 
of Larimer County is documented on numerous maps, including ``Indian 
Land Areas Judicially Established 1978.'' The map, ``Early Indian 
Tribes, Culture Areas, and Linguistic Stocks,'' establishes the 
presence of the Arapaho and Ute tribes in the area during the time of 
contact. The Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation 
map, ``Estimated Tribal Territories in Colorado During the Late 
Nineteenth Century,'' shows the presence of the Apache, Arapaho, 
Cheyenne, Comanche, and Kiowa tribes in all of eastern Colorado, 
including Larimer

[[Page 5366]]

County. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe map, ``Original Ute Domain,'' 
includes Larimer County as a part of the original domain of the Utes. 
Through both oral tradition and written records, the Lakota were known 
to have been in Larimer County and other northern Colorado counties by 
at least the early 1800s. Furthermore, during consultations with 
official representatives of the culturally affiliated tribes, folklore, 
oral tradition, and geographical and historical evidence provided 
indicates that Larimer County is part of their traditional territory.
    In addition to musuem records, osteological evidence, and dental 
characteristics, oral traditions, archeological context, ethnographic 
research, and ethno-historic documents support cultural affiliation 
between the human remains and descendants of the Apache, Arapaho, 
Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Lakota, and Ute tribes as members of the 
Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming; Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma; Cheyenne River Sioux 
Tribe, South Dakota; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Fort Sill Apache Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian 
Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, 
South Dakota; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the 
Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of 
the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of 
North & South Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 
Reservation, Utah; and the Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah.
    In April 2002, representatives of several of the above-mentioned 
Indian tribes were consulted regarding the cultural affiliation and 
disposition of the human remains in this notice, as well as the human 
remains of four individuals described in a Notice of Inventory 
Completion published in the Federal Register on September 12, 2002 (FR 
Doc. 02-23127, pages 57838-57839). Following the April 2002 
consultation, a joint claim of cultural affiliation was authorized by 
nine tribes with two other tribes subsequently adding their signatures. 
The joint claim of cultural affiliation identified the Cheyenne-Arapaho 
Tribes of Oklahoma as the lead Indian tribe in the repatriation of the 
four other individuals. Reburying of the individuals occurred in June 
2003. Since that time, further consultations with the above-mentioned 
tribes have resulted in verbal agreement to support the joint claim of 
cultural affiliation and the request that the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes 
of Oklahoma take the lead in repatriating and reburying the 13 
individuals described in this notice.
    Officials at the Fort Collins Museum have determined that, pursuant 
to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9-10), the human remains described above represent 
the physical remains of 13 individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the Fort Collins 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 the Native American 
human remains and the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Arapaho Tribe of the 
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the 
Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota; Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of 
Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Fort Sill Apache Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian 
Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, 
South Dakota; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the 
Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of 
the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of 
North & South Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 
Reservation, Utah; and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Dr. 
Brenda Martin, NAGPRA Coordinator, Fort Collins Museum, 200 Mathews 
Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524, (970) 416-2720, before March 3, 2006. 
Repatriation of the human remains to the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of 
Oklahoma may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    Fort Collins Museum is responsible for notifying the Apache Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; 
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, 
Montana; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation, 
South Dakota; Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, 
Oklahoma; Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation, South 
Dakota; Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache Nation, 
New Mexico; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of 
the Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota; Mescalero Apache Tribe of 
the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the 
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of 
the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; 
Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; 
Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; 
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of 
the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah; and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute 
Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: December 19, 2005.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-1268 Filed 1-31-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S