[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 175 (Monday, September 11, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53468-53469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14931]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Kansas State University, 
Manhattan, KS

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 
objects in the possession of Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS. 
The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from 
Saline County, MO.
    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 objects. The National 
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Kansas State 
University professional staff in consultation with representatives of 
the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma. The Osage Tribe, 
Oklahoma was invited to consult, but did not participate.
    In 1970, human remains representing a minimum of nine individuals 
were removed from the Utlaut site (23SA162W), Saline County, MO, with 
permission from the landowner, during an excavation directed by 
Patricia J. O'Brien from Kansas State University. The excavation was 
conducted as part of the Great Plains Archaeological Field School from 
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS; University of Kansas, Lawrence, 
KS; and University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO. The human 
remains were cataloged and removed and have been curated since that 
time at Kansas State University. No known individuals were identified. 
The 223 associated funerary objects are 2 chert flakes, 3 pottery 
vessels, 3 soil samples, 1 mussel shell, 1 chipped stone artifact, 1 
retouched flake, and 212 beads and fragments.
    The Utlaut site (23SA162W) is located on private land in the 
Missouri River bottoms near Malta Bend, MO. Archeological remains lie 
on and in a sand ridge in a low-lying area, which probably represents a 
former channel of the Missouri River. Utlaut is a multi-

[[Page 53469]]

component site, containing an extensive scatter of late Middle to 
early-Late Woodland habitation debris, an Oneota mortuary component, 
and some recent Euro-American historic debris. The presence of Woodland 
materials that are not water worn and appear to represent an in situ 
camp, suggests that the Missouri River abandoned the channel, 
represented by this sand bar, no less than 1500 years ago. The human 
remains and some of the associated funerary objects were removed from 
the Oneota component. All burials were in a line and similarly 
oriented, are reasonably believed to be from a single small cemetery, 
and are therefore of the same cultural affiliation.
    The Utlaut site is nearly equidistant between Gumbo Point site 
(23SA4), a Late Missouri Indian village, and the Plattner site (23SA3), 
a Little Osage village. Gumbo Point is a Missouria Indian village with 
an estimated occupation of A.D. 1727-1777; Plattner is a 
contemporaneous Osage Indian village. Both villages are documented in 
the historic literature, so their cultural affiliations are known. 
Previously excavated burials from each site are described as extended 
and supine, as are most of the Utlaut site burials. Pottery found with 
the human remains at Gumbo Point is Missouria (Chapman 1959:63-64) and 
closely resembles the pottery in size, form, and decoration removed 
from the Utlaut site. The dates of manufacture for the pottery vessels 
and beads found at Utlaut are consistent with the known date of 
occupation of the Gumbo Point and Plattner sites. Based on associated 
funerary objects, burial context, geographic location, and historical 
records, it is reasonably believed that the Utlaut site is a Missouria 
mortuary site and therefore, culturally affiliated with the present-day 
Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma.
    Officials of Kansas State University have determined that, pursuant 
to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent 
the physical remains of nine individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of Kansas State University also have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 223 objects 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. Lastly, officials of Kansas State University 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 associated funerary objects and the Otoe-
Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Dr. Jacque E. Gibbons, Department of Sociology, 
Anthropology and Social Work, 204 Waters Hall, Kansas State University, 
Manhattan, KS 66506-4003, telephone (785) 532-4976, before October 11, 
2006. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
to the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    Kansas State University is responsible for notifying the Osage 
Tribe, Oklahoma and Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma that this 
notice has published.

    Dated: August 23, 2006
C. Timothy McKeown,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-14931 Filed 9-8-06; 8:45 am]
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