[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9148-9149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2445]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service, Shoshone National Forest, Cody, WY, and Buffalo Bill 
Historical Center, Cody, WY

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 
object in the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service, Shoshone National Forest, Cody, WY, and in the physical 
custody of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY. The human 
remains and associated funerary object were removed from the Mummy Cave 
site, Park County, WY.
    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 object. The National 
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Buffalo Bill 
Historical Center professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of 
Idaho.
    Between 1963 and 1966, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Mummy Cave site, west of Cody, Park 
County, WY, by Harold McCracken. The human remains were removed from 
lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and have been curated at the 
Buffalo Bill Historical Center since their removal. No known individual 
was identified. The one associated funerary object is a mountain sheep 
hide that was used to wrap the individual.
    The individual was mummified and wrapped in a mountain sheep hide, 
which provided a radiocarbon date of 110  1251 B.P. A study 
and report on the human remains was undertaken by Susan Hughes of the 
University of Washington and a team of physicians from the 
Paleopathology Association, Toledo, OH. No destructive testing was 
undertaken.
    Mummy Cave contains several levels of human occupation. The human 
remains, representing an older Native American male, were recovered 
from an intentional stone-covered burial in level 3 of the cave. 
Archeological evidence from several levels of the site provides dates 
that are consistent with occupation of this area by the Plains and 
Great Basin people. Level 3 has been identified as Great Basin or 
Sheepeater, and level 1 as Shoshonean. There are historical ties 
between Sheepeater people and the Shoshonean people. The present-day 
Shoshonean tribes that consider themselves descendants of the 
Sheepeater are the Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of 
Idaho.
    Officials of the Shoshone National Forest have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above 
represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American 
ancestry. Officials of Shoshone National Forest also have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the one object described above 
is 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 Shoshone National Forest 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 associated funerary object and 
the Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming and Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
object should contact Emma Hansen, Curator, Plains Indian Museum, 
Buffalo Bill Historical Center, 720 Sheridan Avenue, Cody, WY 82414, 
telephone (307) 587-4771 extension 4052, before March 24, 2006. 
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary object to the 
Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming and Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho may proceed after 
that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Shoshone 
National Forest is responsible for notifying the Arapaho Tribe of the 
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Crow Tribe of Montana; Shoshone Tribe 
of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; and

[[Page 9149]]

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: January 31, 2006.
C. Timothy McKeown,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-2445 Filed 2-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S