[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 177 (Thursday, September 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52390-52391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18103]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Southwest Museum of the American 
Indian, Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA

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 in the possession of the 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center, Los 
Angeles, CA. The human remains were removed from Andrew 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. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Southwest 
Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of 
Indians of Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation of 
Oklahoma; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and 
Nebraska; Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, 
Louisiana; Kaw Nation, Oklahoma; Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, 
Mississippi; Osage Tribe, Oklahoma; Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, 
Oklahoma; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; 
Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, 
Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Shawnee Tribe, 
Oklahoma; and Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, 
North Dakota.
    In 1939, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from Amazonia mound (23AN37), 10 miles north of St. Joseph 
in southwest Andrew County, MO, by Mr. Oscar Branson, an amateur 
archeologist. In 1944, Mr. John George Braecklein, an architect and 
archeologist from Kansas City, MO, donated the human remains to the 
museum, which accessioned the human remains into the museum collection 
that same year. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    A letter written on February 14, 1944, by Mr. Braeklein to the 
Director of the Southwest Museum, Dr. Francis Hodge, states, ``the 
supposed Sac and Fox skull was exhumed by Oscar Branson, a curator for 
the St. Joseph, MO. Museum [while] he was working with the W.P.A. The 
location of the mound was about 10 miles North of St. Joseph.'' Mr. 
Branson, as an amateur archeologist, worked with the Works Projects 
Administration with Allen Heflin and Don Reynolds at Amazonia mound on 
the Missouri River bluffs. Several burials were uncovered, including 
isolated skulls; only one was donated to the Southwest Museum of the 
American Indian.
    The skull has an inscription on the left parietal of the cranial 
vault that reads, ``From the Butts Collection, Dyer Museum, originally 
from Mayor Blakesly Coll. Savannah Mo. Note opening, killed with an 
arrow,'' signed ``J.G. Braecklein Coll.'' An inscription on the right 
parietal of the cranial vault reads, ``964.G.255A.Andrew Co. Mo Mound 
find 1914.'' According to these inscriptions, the human remains appear 
to have been first transferred from Mr. Branson to the Mayor Blakesly 
collection in Savannah, MO, then to the Butts collection at the Dyer 
Museum in St. Joseph, MO, and finally to Mr. Braecklein, the donor. The 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian has no record of the dates of 
the transfers prior to the donation by Mr. Braecklein to the museum.
    Physical anthropological assessment of cranial and dental 
morphology is indicative of probable Native American ancestry. 
Osteological analysis did not reveal the age of the human remains. 
According to archeological evidence, northwestern Missouri has been 
occupied continuously since the Early Mississippian period (A.D. 900-
1450). Evidence has been found to suggest a Central Plains tradition of 
Nebraska phase occupation during the Early Mississippian period. An 
occupation by the Oneota people began in the Late Mississippian period 
(A.D. 1450-1700) and lasted through the Historic period (post A.D. 
1673). The Kanza people migrated to the area sometime prior to A.D. 
1750. As early as A.D. 1760, the Meskawki tribes occupied the area. The 
presence of a possible arrow wound places the age of the human remains 
no earlier than A.D. 400. Therefore, the human remains may be 
culturally affiliated with the four tribes that occupied the area from 
A.D. 400 until the Historic period. A cultural continuum can be 
reasonably traced between the Central Plains tradition of Nebraska 
phase occupation and the Pawnee and Arikara tribes. Present-day 
descendants of the Pawnee and Arikara tribes are members of the Pawnee 
Nation of Oklahoma and Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation, North Dakota. A cultural continuum can also be reasonably 
traced between the Late Mississippian period occupation and the Oneota. 
Present-day descendants of the ancestral Oneota are the Otoe-Missouria 
Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma, as well as the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and 
Nebraska. A cultural continuum can be reasonably traced between the 
Kanza people and their present-day descendants whom are members of the 
Kaw Nation, Oklahoma. Finally, a cultural continuum can be reasonably 
traced to between the Historic period occupation and the Meskwaki, 
present-day descendants of whom are members of the Sac & Fox Nation of 
Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma; and Sac & 
Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa.
    Officials of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry. Officials of the Southwest Museum of the 
American Indian 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 
Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; Kaw

[[Page 52391]]

Nation, Oklahoma; Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; Pawnee 
Nation of Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and 
Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Tribe of the 
Mississippi in Iowa; and Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation, North Dakota.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Dr. 
Duane H. King, Executive Director, or LaLena Lewark, Senior NAGPRA 
Coordinator, Southwest Museum of the American Indian, 234 Museum Drive, 
Los Angeles, CA 90065, telephone (323) 221-2164, extension 241, before 
October 15, 2007. Repatriation of the human remains to the Iowa Tribe 
of Kansas and Nebraska; Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; 
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and 
Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma; and Sac & Fox Tribe of the 
Mississippi in Iowa may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center 
is responsible for notifying the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of 
Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; 
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; 
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kaw 
Nation, Oklahoma; Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; 
Osage Tribe, Oklahoma; Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; 
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; Sac & Fox 
Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma; 
Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma; 
and Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North 
Dakota that this notice has been published.

    Dated: August 28, 2007
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E7-18103 Filed 9-12-07; 8:45 am]
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