[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13165-13166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3553]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Gilcrease Museum, 
Tulsa, OK

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. 3005, of the intent 
to repatriate cultural items in the possession of the Gilcrease Museum, 
Tulsa, OK, 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 sole 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 9,097 unassociated funerary objects are 45 whole and restored 
ceramic vessels; 2,784 spindle whorls, clay beads, and pot sherds; 
1,403 daub samples; 401 fire-cracked rocks, hammerstones, celts, cores, 
and cobbles; 1,594 lithic flakes and tools, including projectile 
points, scrapers, drills, and burins; 2,558 faunal bones and bone and 
antler tools; 13 mussel shells, shell fragments, and shell beads; 238 
turtle shells and shell fragments; 13 pieces of charcoal; 3 metal 
objects; 38 non-charred wood and floral samples; and 7 mineral 
specimens.
    Between 1964 and 1968, human remains and funerary objects were 
removed from the Charlie MacDuffie farm in Craighead County, AR, by 
avocational archeologist Frank Soday. The cultural items were deeded by 
gift

[[Page 13166]]

to Gilcrease Museum in 1982 by the Soday Research Foundation. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects are described in an 
accompanying Notice of Inventory Completion.
    The Charlie MacDuffie site (3CG21) is located near the town of 
Lunsford in Craighead County, northeastern Arkansas. Excavation records 
indicate that the site consisted of a ``large village with two 
mounds.'' Cultural items associated with the human remains removed from 
the site have been determined to date to the Middle Mississippian 
period (A.D. 1170-1300). Oral history evidence presented by 
representatives of the Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma indicates that 
the region has long been included in the traditional and hunting 
territory of the Quapaw. French colonial records from 1700 also 
indicate that the Quapaw were known then to be the only Native American 
group present in the St. Francis River valley region where the 
MacDuffie site is located.
    Officials of the Gilcrease Museum have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the cultural items 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 specific 
burial sites of Native American individuals. Officials of the Gilcrease 
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 unassociated funerary objects and the Quapaw Tribe 
of Indians, Oklahoma.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Randy Ramer, Curator of Anthropology, Gilcrease Museum, 1400 
Gilcrease Museum Road, Tulsa, OK 74127-2100, telephone (918) 596-2743, 
before April 13, 2006. Repatriation of the unassociated funerary 
objects to the Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Gilcrease Museum is responsible for notifying the Quapaw Tribe 
of Indians, Oklahoma that this notice has been published.

    Dated: February 10, 2006.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-3553 Filed 3-13-06; 8:45 am]
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