[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 129 (Thursday, July 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38419-38420]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10522]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Institute for 
American Indian Studies, Washington, CT

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 Institute for 
American Indian Studies, Washington, CT, 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 two cultural items are elbow pipes. The first elbow pipe is a 
plain burnished clay elbow pipe bowl and part of a stem. The second 
pipe is a ``copper pipe'' with a thin stem 6 inches in length.

[[Page 38420]]

    In the early 1970s, the Institute for American Indian Studies 
purchased the two cultural items from the Rogers family as part of 
their acquisition of the Edward H. Rogers collection. Mr. Rogers was a 
collector residing in Devon, CT, who excavated, traded, and bought 
archeological items from throughout the Western Hemisphere. The bulk of 
his collection is from New England. It was accumulated during the early 
and mid-twentieth century. According to Mr. Rogers' notebooks, he 
purchased the two elbow pipes from Mr. Harry Hathaway of Devon, CT, in 
1940. According to Mr. Rogers' notes, Mr. Hathaway believed that Mr. 
Andrew Chase had removed the two elbow pipes, along with a glass bottle 
and spectacles, from an ``Indian Grave'' in Tiverton, RI, in 1900. 
Nothing further is known about the present disposition of the glass 
bottle and spectacles.
    Since the lands presently known as Rhode Island are claimed by the 
Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island as their ancient homelands, 
and the claim appears to be supported by historical documents, the 
Institute for American Indian Studies believes that a preponderance of 
evidence shows a cultural affiliation with the Narragansett peoples.
    Officials of the Institute for American Indian Studies have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the two cultural 
items described above 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 a specific burial site of a 
Native American individual. Officials of the Institute for American 
Indian Studies 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 two unassociated funerary objects and the 
Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Dr. Lucianne Lavin, Director of Research and Collections, 
Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT 06793, telephone 
(860) 868-0518, before August 7, 2006. Repatriation of the two 
unassociated funerary objects to the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode 
Island may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    The Institute for American Indian Studies is responsible for 
notifying the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: June 8, 2006.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-10522 Filed 7-5-06; 8:45 am]
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