[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 62 (Monday, April 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15722-15723]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5975]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Indian Arts and 
Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology, Museum of New Mexico, New Mexico 
Department of Cultural Affairs, Santa Fe, NM; Correction

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; correction.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 in the possession of the 
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology, Museum 
of New Mexico, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, Santa Fe, NM. 
The human remains were removed from Torrance 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.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Museum 
of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology and Department 
of Cultural Affairs professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Kiowa Indian Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, 
Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; 
and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.
    This notice is an addition of a minimum of 33 individuals from 
sites LA 95 (Quarai site) and LA 97 (Abo site), which were previously 
described in a Notice of Inventory Completion published in the Federal 
Register on August 29, 2000 (FR Doc 00-21974, pages 52441-52442). The 
human remains are extremely fragmentary and were found mixed in 
containers of non-human bone in the museum's collection. In 2000, the 
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of Anthropology 
repatriated the human remains of the 29 individuals described in the 
Notice of Inventory Completion of August 29, 2000, to the Ysleta Del 
Sur Pueblo of Texas. At that same time, unassociated funerary objects 
from the LA 95 (Quarai site) described in a Notice of Intent to 
Repatriate published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2000 (FR Doc 
00-21973, pages 52440-52441), were also repatriated.
    In 2004, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of 
Anthropology and Department of Cultural Affairs found human remains 
representing a minimum of five individuals from site LA 97 (Abo site), 
Torrance County, NM, in their collection. The human remains had been 
removed in 1944-1945, and 1958, during legally authorized excavations 
conducted by the Museum of New Mexico. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Based on archeological context, the human remains have been 
identified as Native American. Based on material culture and 
architectural features, site LA 97 (Abo site) is dated to the Pueblo IV 
through the early historic period (1300 A.D.-1680 A.D.).
    In 2006, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of 
Anthropology and Department of Cultural Affairs found human remains 
representing a minimum 28 individuals from site LA 95 (Quarai site), 
Torrance County, NM, in their collection. The human remains had been 
removed in 1935-1936 and 1939-1940, during legally authorized 
excavations conducted as part of a multi-year stabilization project 
sponsored variously by the Museum of New Mexico, School of American 
Research, and Works Progress Administration. An additional undetermined 
number of individuals were recovered during the same time, some of 
which are curated by the Smithsonian Institution, and some of which are 
missing. The human remains found in the collections have not been 
identified as part of those individuals that were previously reported 
missing. No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    Based on archeological context, the human remains have been 
identified as Native American. Based on material culture, architectural 
features, and documentary evidence, site LA 95 (Quarai site) is dated 
to the Pueblo III to Pueblo IV and through Spanish Contact/Colonial 
(1100 A.D.-1680 A.D.).
    The determination of material dates is based on archeological 
context and the cultural chronology for this region. Both sites are 
classified as Ancestral Puebloan and the human remains from these sites 
were recovered from cultural deposits containing ceramics that are 
materially and stylistically consistent with objects known to 
Southwestern archeologists as Ancestral Puebloan. Historical evidence 
also records these sites as trade centers, which enjoyed frequent 
contact with non-Puebloan tribes. Descendants of Ancestral Puebloan are 
members of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Taos, New Mexico; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico; as well as the

[[Page 15723]]

Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian group, a non-federally recognized Indian group.
    Officials of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of 
Anthropology, Department of Cultural Affairs have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above 
represent the physical remains of 33 individuals of Native American 
ancestry. Officials of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 
Laboratory of Anthropology, Department of Cultural Affairs 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 Native American human remains and the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Ysleta del Sur 
Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico; as 
well as the Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian group, a non-federally recognized 
Indian group.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Dr. 
Shelby J. Tisdale, Director, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 
Laboratory of Anthropology, P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, NM 87504, 
telephone (505) 476-1251, before May 2, 2007. Repatriation of the human 
remains to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Taos, 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.
    Officials of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Laboratory of 
Anthropology are responsible for notifying the Caddo Nation of 
Oklahoma; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; White Mountain Apache Tribe of the 
Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; Wichita and Affiliated Tribes 
(Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of 
Texas; Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico; and Piro-Manso-
Tiwa Indian group, a non-federally recognized Indian group.

    Dated: March 9, 2007
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E7-5975 Filed 3-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S