[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 52 (Friday, March 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13863-13864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2624]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and U.S. Department of the 
Interior, National Park Service, Mesa Verde National Park, Mesa Verde, 
CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is here given in accordance with provisions of 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 objects in the control of the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and the possession of the 
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Mesa Verde 
National Park, Mesa Verde, CO. The human remains were removed from San 
Juan County, NM.
    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.
    Bureau of Indian Affairs and Mesa Verde National Park professional 
staff identified the cultural items and

[[Page 13864]]

assessed the cultural affiliation of the cultural items in consultation 
with representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, 
Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New 
Mexico; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, 
Colorado; Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, 
New Mexico, & Utah; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. 
The Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas 
were unable to attend the Native American consultation meetings, but 
they requested and received the minutes of these proceedings.
    In 1936, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from an area on the Navajo Reservation west of Shiprock, 
San Juan County, NM, by U.S. Commissioner J.H. Jackson. Osteological 
data cannot conclusively identify cultural affiliation. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs 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 the Bureau of Indian Affairs also determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), a relationship of shared group 
identity cannot reasonably be traced between the Native American human 
remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Lastly, officials of the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs determined that the physical remains of the 
one individual of Native American ancestry are culturally 
unidentifiable.
    The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 
Committee (Review Committee) is responsible for recommending specific 
actions for disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains. In 
February 2006, Mesa Verde National Park requested that the Review 
Committee recommend repatriation of 25 culturally unidentifiable human 
remains, including one set of culturally unidentifiable human remains 
under the control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; Pueblo of Acoma, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San 
Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, 
New Mexico. These 22 Indian tribes had requested the human remains and 
have demonstrated a cultural relationship to the region. The Review 
Committee considered the proposal at its March 3, 2006 meeting via 
teleconference, and recommended disposition of the human remains to the 
Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; 
Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New 
Mexico; Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni 
Reservation, New Mexico.
    A March 3, 2006, letter from the Designated Federal Official on 
behalf of the chair of the Review Committee to the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs transmitted the Review Committee's recommendation that the 
Agency effect disposition of the physical remains of the one culturally 
unidentifiable individual to the 22 Indian tribes listed above 
contingent on the publication of a Notice of Inventory Completion in 
the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that requirement.
    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Dr. Donald Sutherland, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
2051 Mercator Drive, Reston, VA 20191, (703) 390-6470, before April 17, 
2006. Disposition of the human remains to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; 
Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; Pueblo of Acoma, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, 
New Mexico, may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for notifying the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; Pueblo of 
Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San 
Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; 
Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New 
Mexico, & Utah; Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 13, 2005
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 06-2624 Filed 3-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S