[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 37 (Monday, February 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10057-10058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3450]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Natural History Museum of Los 
Angeles County Foundation, 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 
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation, Los Angeles, 
CA. The human remains were removed from Kern and Kings Counties, CA, 
and an unknown location probably in the interior of California.
    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.
    An assessment of the human remains was made by the Natural History 
Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Santa Rosa Indian Community of 
the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California (also known as the Tachi Yokut 
Tribe).
    In or before 1918, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from Kern County, CA. The human remains were 
brought to the museum by a private collector and accessioned on August 
11, 1918 (Accession number A.847.18-1). No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The accession records indicate the human remains were excavated 
from a location ``45 miles N.W. of Bakersfield and 12 miles S.E. of 
Lost Hill.'' Based on museum records, the human remains are Native 
American. There is no further documentation on the original context of 
the human remains.
    In or before 1951, human remains representing a minimum of three 
individuals were removed from Kings

[[Page 10058]]

County, CA, by an unknown person. The human remains were brought to the 
museum by a private collector and accessioned into the Department of 
Mammalogy in September, 1951. In 1993, the human remains were 
transferred to the Department of Anthropology (Accession numbers LACM 
51136, LACM.51137, and LACM 51139). No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The accession records indicate two individuals were recovered from 
a location in Kings County ``7 miles south of Lemore.'' The other 
individual was recovered ``5 miles south of Lemore.'' Based on museum 
records, the human remains are Native American. There is no further 
documentation on the original context of the human remains.
    In or before 1956, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown locality from probably the 
interior of California. The human remains were brought to the Natural 
History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation by a private collector 
and accessioned on September 18, 1956 (Accession number A.6988.56-24). 
No known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    The collector designated the human remains as that of a ``Yokuk 
Indian.'' The accession records do not indicate a specific locality nor 
is there further documentation on the original context of the human 
remains. Based on collector information and museum records, the museum 
has determined that the human remains are reasonably believed to be 
Yokut.
    The five individuals described above had previously been determined 
to be culturally unidentifiable. However, during consultation, tribal 
representatives of the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa 
Rancheria, California established that the Yokut had territories in 
portions of central California, including Kern and Kings Counties. The 
Yokut are divided into Northern, Southern, and Foothill Yokut. 
Descendants of the Yokut are members of the Picayune Rancheria of 
Chuckchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the 
Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table Mountain Rancheria of 
California; and Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, 
California.
    Officials of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 
Foundation have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the 
human remains described above represent the physical remains of five 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the Natural 
History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation 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 Picayune Rancheria of Chuckchansi 
Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa 
Rancheria, California; Table Mountain Rancheria of California; and Tule 
River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Dr. 
Margaret Ann Hardin, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 
Foundation, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, telephone 
(213) 763-3382, before March 26, 2008. Repatriation of the human 
remains to the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, 
California may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation is 
responsible for notifying the Picayune Rancheria of Chuckchansi Indians 
of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, 
California; Table Mountain Rancheria of California; and Tule River 
Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California that this notice 
has been published.

    Dated: December 21, 2007
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-3450 Filed 2-22-08; 8:45 am]
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