[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 250 (Friday, December 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78462-78463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22346]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Horner Collection, 
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

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 Horner 
Collection, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 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 12 cultural objects are 5 baskets, 1 mortar, 2 arrows, 1 bag 
containing projectile points, 2 obsidian spear points, and 1 obsidian 
blade.
    The Museum of Oregon Country, Oregon Agricultural College was 
renamed the John B. Horner Museum of the Oregon Country in 1936, and 
became commonly known as the Horner Museum. The Oregon Agricultural 
College was renamed the Oregon State College in 1937, and became Oregon 
State University in 1962. The Horner Museum closed in 1995. Currently, 
cultural items from the Horner Museum are referred to as the Horner 
Collection, which is owned by, and in the possession of, Oregon State 
University.
    Horner Collection, Oregon State University professional staff 
consulted with representatives of the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the 
Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Karuk Tribe of California; Pit River 
Tribe, California; Redding Rancheria, California; Santa Rosa Indian 
Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California (also known as the 
Tachi Yokut Tribe); Smith River Rancheria, California; Southern Ute 
Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; and Yurok Tribe 
of the Yurok Reservation, California.
    In 1953, one mortar was loaned to the Horner Collection by S.L. 
Burnaugh, who later gifted the mortar to the Horner Collection in 1972. 
Museum records state that the mortar was found in Calveris, California 
(probably Calaveras) by an unknown person at an unknown time. The 
Calaveras area is within the Northern Valley Yokut or Foot Hill Miwok 
territories, which is part of the traditional territory of the Santa 
Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California.
    The mortar is a shallow oval with one end deeper than the other and 
two grooves in one side of the rim. The mortar has been identified by 
tribal representatives of the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa 
Rosa Rancheria, California as being a ceremonial mortar used for the 
preparation of a jimson weed (Datura stramonium) beverage that young 
men drink during the traditional coming of age ceremony. According to 
consultation evidence, this type of ceremonial mortar was usually 
buried with its owner. The museum has no documentation that the mortar 
was ever buried with an individual, however, based on consultation 
evidence, officials of the Horner Collection, Oregon State University 
reasonably believe the mortar is an unassociated funerary object.
    According to museum records, three baskets are from Tulare County, 
CA, and were loaned by Mrs. James Edmond Barrett to the Horner 
Collection in 1934. In 1972, Mrs. Barrett gifted the baskets to the 
Horner Collection. The Horner Collection, Oregon State University has 
no documentation that the three baskets were ever buried with any 
individual. However, museum records state Mrs. Barrett and her husband 
are known to have collected cultural items that were taken from burials 
and mounds.
    In 1981, one basket was found in collections with no accession 
number and without provenience information.
    In 1984, Francis E. Alvord gifted one basket to the Horner 
Collection. Mrs. Alvord identified the basket as Shoshone and said it 
had belonged to her parents. It is not known how her parents acquired 
the basket. Anthropomorphic figures on the basket have been identified 
as Yokut designs, specifically the Wah-nees (first man) design, by 
tribal representatives of the Santa Rosa Rancheria Indian Community of 
the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California.
    All five baskets have been identified by tribal representatives of 
the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California 
as offering baskets that would have been buried with special offerings 
for an individual's safe passage to the spirit world. The Horner 
Collection, Oregon State University has no documentation that the 
baskets were ever buried with any individual. However, based on 
consultation, collector history, and museum records, officials of the 
Horner Collection, Oregon State University reasonably believe that the 
five baskets are unassociated funerary objects.
    In 1987, one arrow was found in museum collections. In 1993, 
another arrow was found in the museum collection. Both arrows have no 
accession numbers and are without provenience information. Both arrows 
have reed main shafts and one has the hardwood foreshaft construction 
that is typical of the Tachi Yokut culture group according to the 
Handbook of North American Indians Vol. 8 (page 452). Furthermore, both 
arrows have been identified by tribal consultants of the Santa Rosa 
Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California as being 
typical of arrows made historically and prehistorically by the Tachi 
Yokut. Consultation evidence states that men would often leave arrows 
at gravesites as offerings in the belief that they would bring good 
luck for hunting in the spirit world. The Horner Collection, Oregon 
State University has no documentation that the arrows were ever buried 
with any individual. However, based on the information from 
consultation, officials of the Horner Collection, Oregon State 
University reasonably believes that the two arrows are unassociated 
funerary objects.
    In 1993, one obsidian blade was found in museum collection with no 
accession number and is without provenience information. The obsidian 
blade has been identified by tribal representatives of the Santa Rosa 
Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California as being 
typical of the blades given to a young man for his coming of age 
ceremony, as such, this type of blade was a personal item that would 
have been buried with its owner. The Horner Collection, Oregon State 
University has no documentation that

[[Page 78463]]

the obsidian blade was ever buried with any individual. However, based 
on the information from consultation, officials of the Horner 
Collection, Oregon State University reasonably believes that the 
cultural item is an unassociated funerary object.
    In 1993, two obsidian spear points were found in museum collections 
with no accession numbers and are without provenience information. In 
1999, one bag containing approximately 300 small projectile points made 
of obsidian and chert was found in museum collections with no accession 
number and no provenience information.
    The two obsidian spear points and bag of projectile points are 
typical items that have been found at ancient burials and were commonly 
left as offerings in the belief that the projectile points could be 
used for hunting in the spirit world. The Horner Collection, Oregon 
State University has no documentation that the cultural items were ever 
buried with any individual. However, based on the museum records and 
information from consultation, officials of the Horner Collection, 
Oregon State University reasonably believes that the three cultural 
items are unassociated funerary objects.
    Officials of the Horner Collection, Oregon State University have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the 12 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 an 
Native American individual. Officials of the Horner Collection, Oregon 
State University 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 
Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Sabah Randhawa, Executive Vice President and Provost, 
President's Office, Oregon State University, 600 Kerr Administration 
Building, Corvallis, OR 97331, telephone (541) 737-8260, before January 
29, 2007. Repatriation of the unassociated funerary objects to the 
Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Horner Collection, Oregon State University is responsible for 
notifying the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, 
Nevada; Karuk Tribe of California; Pit River Tribe, California; Redding 
Rancheria, California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa 
Rancheria, California; Smith River Rancheria, California; Southern Ute 
Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; and Yurok Tribe 
of the Yurok Reservation, California that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: November 22, 2006.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-22346 Filed 12-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S