[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9149-9150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2447]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: American Museum of Natural 
History, New York, NY

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 
American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY. The human remains 
were removed from Pacific County, WA.
    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 American 
Museum of Natural History professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama 
Indian Nation of the Yakama Reservation, Washington; Confederated 
Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of 
the Colville Reservation, Washington; Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe of 
Washington; Lower Elwha Tribal Community of the Lower Elwha 
Reservation, Washington; Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian 
Reservation, Washington; Port Gamble Indian Community of the Port 
Gamble Reservation, Washington; Quinault Tribe of the Quinault 
Reservation, Washington; Samish Indian Tribe, Washington; Shoalwater 
Bay Tribe of

[[Page 9150]]

the Shoalwater Bay Indian Reservation, Washington; Skokomish Indian 
Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington; Stillaguamish Tribe of 
Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, Washington; and 
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington. The American Museum of Natural 
History also contacted the following Indian tribes for consultation, 
but received no response: the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; Hoh Indian Tribe of the Hoh Indian Reservation, 
Washington; Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation, Washington; 
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; 
Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, Washington; 
Nooksack Indian Tribe of Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington; Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation, 
Washington; Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, 
Washington; and Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, 
Washington.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of eight 
individuals were removed from Tokeland, on Shoalwater Bay, Pacific 
County, WA, by Harlan I. Smith, during the Jesup North Pacific 
Expedition. The museum has no record of whether Mr. Smith purchased or 
excavated the human remains. In 1899, the museum accessioned the human 
remains. No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    According to museum records, the human remains were found in 
``camphor boxes'' imported from China during the postcontact period. 
Published literature and consultation information from the tribe 
indicate that burial in Chinese boxes is consistent with the 
postcontact burial practices of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the 
Shoalwater Bay Indian Reservation, Washington. Based on locale and 
manner of interment, the human remains have been identified as Native 
American dating to the postcontact period. The geographic origin of the 
human remains is consistent with the postcontact territory of the 
Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Reservation, 
Washington and is within the boundaries of the present-day Shoalwater 
Bay Indian Reservation.
    Although the lands from which the human remains were removed are 
currently under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the 
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the American Museum of Natural 
History has control of the human remains since their removal from 
tribal land predates the permit requirements established by the 
Antiquities Act of 1906.
    Officials of the American Museum of Natural History have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described 
above represent the physical remains of a minimum of eight individuals 
of Native American ancestry. Officials of the American Museum of 
Natural History, 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 
Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Reservation, 
Washington.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Nell 
Murphy, Director of Cultural Resources, American Museum of Natural 
History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, 
telephone (212) 769-5837, before March 24, 2006. Repatriation of the 
human remains to the Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay Indian 
Reservation, Washington may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The American Museum of Natural History is responsible for notifying 
the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation of the 
Yakama Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis 
Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; Hoh Indian Tribe of the Hoh Indian Reservation, 
Washington; Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe of Washington; Lower Elwha Tribal 
Community of the Lower Elwha Reservation, Washington; Lummi Tribe of 
the Lummi Reservation, Washington; Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah 
Indian Reservation, Washington; Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the 
Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of the 
Nisqually Reservation, Washington; Nooksack Indian Tribe of Washington; 
Port Gamble Indian Community of the Port Gamble Reservation, 
Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington; 
Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation, Washington; Quinault Tribe 
of the Quinault Reservation, Washington; Samish Indian Tribe, 
Washington; Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay Indian 
Reservation, Washington; Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish 
Reservation, Washington; Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island 
Reservation, Washington; Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington; Swinomish 
Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the 
Tulalip Reservation, Washington; and Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of 
Washington that this notice has been published.

    Dated: January 27, 2006.
C. Timothy McKeown,
Acting Manager, National NAPGRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-2447 Filed 2-21-06; 8:45 am]
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