[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 177 (Thursday, September 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52391-52392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18091]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Central Washington University, 
Department of Anthropology, Ellensburg, WA, and Thomas Burke Memorial 
Washington State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

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 control of the Central Washington University, Department 
of Anthropology, Ellensburg, WA, and Thomas Burke Memorial Washington 
State Museum (Burke Museum), University of Washington, Seattle, WA. The 
human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Grant 
and Kittitas Counties, WA.
    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 the Burke 
Museum and Central Washington University professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Confederated Tribes and Bands 
of the Yakama Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 
Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho; and Wanapum Band, a 
non-federally recognized Indian group.
    In 1920, human remains representing a minimum of 35 individuals 
were removed from the Pot Holes site or Hall Site 7 (later 
assigned 45-GR-131) located on the east bank of the Columbia River, 
south of Trinidad, Grant County, WA, by Dr. F.S. Hall of the Washington 
State Museum. The human remains were accessioned by the museum in later 
that same year. In 1974, the Burke Museum legally transferred portions 
of the human remains to Central Washington University. No known 
individuals were identified. The 685 funerary objects include 3 stone 
abraders; 2 adze blades; 5 unmodified antler fragments; 9 antler tools 
and modified fragments; 7 awls (bone and antler); 3 basketry fragments; 
6 lots of beads (seed, shell, copper); 3 stone blades; 11 lots of bone 
(bird, fish, and mammal); 2 lots of sand, wood, and dentalium shells; 
10 bone points; 17 bone tools; 2 lots of charcoal; 36 chipped stone 
tools; 1 clay fragment; 2 silver coins; 4 bone combs; 9 composite 
toggling harpoon point fragments; 1 copper pendant; 5 lots of copper 
ore fragments; 6 lots of fiber cordage; 15 lots of dentalium shell 
(modified and unmodified); 1 stone discoid; 1 petrified wood drill; 2 
copper earrings; 27 stone flakes; 7 bone gaming pieces; 1 ground stone 
tool; 13 fragments of copper headdress; 1 lot of dentalium shell 
headdress attached to twine; 7 fragments of copper ornaments; 1 iron 
tool; 5 stone knives; 9 fragments of leather (2 that have copper 
attached); 1 lot of fiber mat fragments; 1 lot of soil matrix; 4 mauls; 
5 mica flakes; 35 modified bone fragments; 1 modified shell; 1 bone 
needle; 9 stone netweights; 12 lots of red ochre; 2 lots of organic 
materials; 5 abalone shell ornament fragments; 57 shell pendants and 
fragments; 1 bone pendant; 25 copper pendants and fragments; 11 stone 
pipes; 71 stone points; 58 stone scrapers; 11 lots of shell; 14 lots of 
shell beads; 1 fragment of slag; 2 steatite fragments; 2 unmodified 
stones; 4 string fragments; 1 bone toggle; 8 teeth (non-1human); 84 
utilized flakes; 2 antler wedges; 1 bone whistle; 9 lots of wood 
fragments (some burned); 1 wood fragment; 1 seed; 2 wire fragments; 3 
glass fragments; 1 lot of copper, wood, and organic material; 1 lot of 
copper and cordage; 1 lot of cordage; 1 lot of organic material and 
seeds; and 2 bone fragments (modified).
    ``Hall Site 7'' appears to have been a large and important 
site largely destroyed by local collectors before any systematic 
recovery was attempted. Dr. F.S. Hall with Earl O. Roberts and M. Mohr 
of the University of Washington conducted partially controlled 
excavations in 1920 and 1921 at Pot Holes and a number of other nearby 
sites.
    In 1920-1921, human remains representing a minimum of three 
individuals were removed from an area near Vantage Ferry in Kittitas 
County, WA, by F.S. Hall of the Washington State Museum. The human 
remains were accessioned in 1920 (Burke Accn. 1860). No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 1953-1954, human remains representing a minimum of four

[[Page 52392]]

individuals were removed from site 45-KT-20, Kittitas County, WA, as 
part of a University of Washington Field Expedition led by Dr. Earl 
Swanson, Jr. The human remains were transferred from the University of 
Washington Department of Anthropology and accessioned by the Burke 
Museum in 1966 (Burke Accn. 1966-95). No known individuals 
were identified. The 42 funerary objects are 1 lot of plant fiber; 7 
lots of beads (shell and bone, 4 lots include cordage fragments); 9 
lots of bone (mammal, rodent, fish); 1 chipped stone tool; 5 lots of 
cordage; 9 flakes; 1 shell pendant; 2 lots of fiber mat fragments; 1 
scatological specimen; 1 shell fragment; 2 points; 1 wood fragment; and 
2 unmodified stones.
    Early and late published ethnographic documentation indicates that 
the sites described above are the aboriginal territory of the Moses-
Columbia or Sinkiuse, and Yakima (Daugherty 1973, Miller 1998, Mooney 
1896, Ray 1936, Spier 1936). Descendents of the Moses-Columbia, 
Sinkiuse, and Yakima are members of the Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington and Confederated Tribes and Bands of 
the Yakama Nation, Washington. Furthermore, information provided by the 
two tribes during consultation indicates that the aboriginal ancestors 
occupying this area were highly mobile and traveled the landscape for 
gathering resources as well as trade, and are part of the more broadly 
defined Plateau communities. Descendents of these Plateau communities 
are now widely dispersed and enrolled in the Confederated Tribes and 
Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 
Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho; and Wanapum Band, a 
non-federally recognized Indian group.
    Officials of the Burke Museum and Central Washington University 
have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human 
remains described above represent the physical remains of 42 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the Burke Museum 
and Central Washington University also have determined that, pursuant 
to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 727 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 the Burke Museum and Central Washington 
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 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama 
Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, Oregon; 
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; and Nez 
Perce Tribe of Idaho. Furthermore, officials of the Burke Museum and 
Central Washington University have determined that there is a cultural 
relationship between the human remains and associated funerary objects 
and the Wanapum Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Dr. Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of 
Washington, Box 353010, Seattle, WA 98195-3010, telephone (206) 685-
2282 or Lourdes Henebry-DeLeon, NAGPRA Program Director, Department of 
Anthropology, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7544, 
telephone (509) 963-2671, before October 15, 2007. Repatriation of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Confederated 
Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes 
of the Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the 
Umatilla Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; and Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho for themselves and 
on behalf of the Wanapum Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group, 
may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    Central Washington University is responsible for notifying the 
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington; 
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, Oregon; Confederated 
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; Nez Perce Tribe of 
Idaho; and Wanapum Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group that 
this notice has been published.

    Dated: August 28, 2007
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E7-18091 Filed 9-12-07; 8:45 am]
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