[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 45 (Thursday, March 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12210-12212]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4323]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Hastings Museum of Natural and 
Cultural History, Hastings, NE

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

    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 possession of Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural 
History (Hastings Museum), Hastings, NE. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects were removed from Howard, Merrick, Nance, 
Platte, and Webster Counties, NE.
    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 Hastings 
Museum of Natural and Cultural History professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Crow Tribe of Montana; Omaha 
Tribe of Nebraska; Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; Pawnee 
Nation of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of 
Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Three 
Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota; and 
Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), 
Oklahoma.
    During the summers of 1924 and 1925, human remains representing a 
minimum of 10 individuals were removed from the Pike Pawnee Village 
(25WT1) in Webster County, NE. The human remains were donated to the 
Hastings Museum by A.M. Brooking, museum founder, and cataloged between 
1926 and 1931 (02983, 03046, 03154, 03160, 03177, 03224, 03225, 03255). 
No known individuals were identified. The 17 associated funerary 
objects are 1 saw blade, 1 metal button, 14 lead bullets, and 1 
tomahawk pipe bowl (03157, 03224, 03255).
    On a date prior to 1926, human remains representing a minimum of 
six individuals were removed from the Pike Pawnee Village (25WT1) in 
Webster County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (02438, 
02984, 03228, 04792). No known individuals were identified. The 31 
associated funerary objects include 1 brass bell, 2 copper bracelets, 
and 28 beads (02985, 02986, 2987).
    On April 20, 1925, human remains representing a minimum of three 
individuals were removed from the Pike Pawnee Village (25WT1) in 
Webster County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking, A.T. Hill, and J.E. Wallace and cataloged 
between 1926 and 1931 (03110, 03121). No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    At unknown times, human remains representing a minimum of three 
individuals were removed from the Pike Pawnee Village (25WT1) in 
Webster County, NE. One individual was donated to the Hastings Museum 
by an unnamed donor and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (10362). The 
second individual was donated to the Hastings Museum by David Mowry and 
cataloged in 1936 (14693). The third individual was donated to the 
Hastings Museum by Julia Green Bell and cataloged in 1945 (25347). No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    The Pike Pawnee Village site (25WT1) is also known as the Hill 
Site, Hill Farm, and Superior 1. The site is located between Red Cloud 
and Guide Rock on the south bank of the Republican River. The site is 
known to be a village sporadically occupied by the Kitkehahki 
(Republican) band of the Pawnee from A.D. 1700 to A.D. 1830.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Samms Site (25WT2), also known as the 
Thorne Site, near Bladen in Webster County, NE. The human remains were 
given to the Hastings Museum by J.C. Samms and cataloged into the 
collection between 1926 and 1931 (10208). No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Based on research at the Nebraska State Historical Society, it was 
found

[[Page 12211]]

that J.C. Samms and A.M. Brooking had excavated at the Samms Site prior 
to March 1932. The site has been culturally identified as a Lower Loup 
village.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Phil Cuba farm (25NC4) in Nance 
County, NE. The human remains were purchased from Phil Cuba by the 
Hastings Museum in 1933 and cataloged that same year (11222). No known 
individual was identified. The 14 associated funerary objects are 9 
metal bracelets, 1 wooden bowl, 1 metal frying pan, 1 metal scissors, 1 
metal and wood knife, and 1 metal bucket (11223, 11224).
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of three 
individuals were removed from a grave at the Phil Cuba farm (25NC4) in 
Nance County, NE. The human remains were purchased from Phil Cuba by 
the Hastings Museum in 1936 and cataloged that same year (15465, 
15466). No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    A.T. Hill and George Lamb excavated at this site in 1936, which 
became known as the Cuba Site (25NC4) for the Nebraska State Historical 
Society. The site contains an earthlodge village and burials covering 
10 to 20 acres. The site is considered consistent with the Lower Loup 
Phase.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from the Kent village at the Burkett Site 
(25NC1) near Genoa, in Nance County, NE. The human remains were donated 
to the Hastings Museum by A.M. Brooking and cataloged between 1926 and 
1931 (03481). No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    The Burkett Site is located four miles southwest of Genoa on land 
once owned by F. Burkett. A large village is located on this site and 
is known for the vast amount of pottery that has attracted many pot 
hunters. Waldo Wedel identified the Burkett Site as the site once 
reported by F.V. Hayden in an annual report of the Smithsonian 
Institute in 1867, which had a vast amount of pottery fragments in the 
area that Mr. Hayden attributed to the early Pawnee. The site is now 
known to contain cache pits, house sites, and burials. The Nebraska 
State Historical Society has identified the Burkett Site as Lower Loup 
Phase.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Horse Creek Site (25NC2) near 
Fullerton, Nance County, NE. The human remains were donated to the 
Hastings Museum by museum founder, A.M. Brooking and cataloged between 
1926 and 1931 (03200). No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Research reveals that there is a site known as Horse Creek that is 
southwest of Fullerton in Nance County, NE. This site is culturally 
affiliated with the Grand and Republican bands of the Pawnee. Museum 
catalog records indicate that the above human remains were collected 
southwest of Fullerton in approximately the same location as the Horse 
Creek site. Original catalog records indicated that this was ``a Mormon 
boy killed by Indians on September 16, 1849.'' However, the 
morphological report indicates that this is a female of Native American 
descent. Based on the catalog records, information on the Horse Creek 
site, and morphology report, the museum officials have reasonably 
determined that the human remains are culturally affiliated with the 
Pawnee.
    On November 2, 1926, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from graves at a Skidi village near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking and George Debord and cataloged between 1926 
and 1931 (01797). No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    On August 19, 1923, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from a grave at a Skidi Site near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking and A.T. Hill and cataloged between 1926 and 
1931 (02901). No known individual was identified. The seven associated 
funerary objects are five pieces of woven textile, one metal bell, and 
one coiled wire ring (02920).
    On August 10, 1933, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from a grave at a Skidi village near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking, Bert Oberlies, and George Debord, and 
cataloged in 1933 (11216). No known individuals were identified. The 
1,014 associated funerary objects include 2 metal bracelets, 4 pieces 
of metal spoons, and 1,008 glass beads (11216).
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of 14 
individuals were removed from graves at a Skidi site near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (02663, 
03010, 03052, 03202, 03261, 03262, 03267, 03938, 03940, 04460, 07091, 
08052). No known individuals were identified. The one associated 
funerary object is a catlinite pipe (03011).
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from a grave at a Skidi site near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by Ora White and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (02915). No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from a grave at a Skidi site near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking and A.T. Hill and cataloged between 1926 and 
1931 (03359). No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from graves at a Skidi site near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by H. Goering and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (04741). No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from a grave at a Skidi site near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were purchased by the Hastings 
Museum from Vic Johnson and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (06452). No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from graves at a Skidi site near Palmer, 
Merrick County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking and George Debord and cataloged between 1926 
and 1931 (08060, 09011). No known individuals were identified. The one 
associated funerary object is a set of rings (08060).
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from a grave at a Skidi site near Palmer, NE. 
The human remains were purchased by the Hastings Museum from F.G. 
Dankert and cataloged between 1933 (11215). No

[[Page 12212]]

known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Research conducted at the Nebraska State Historical Society 
identifies at least 15 sites in the area around Palmer. One site is 
known as the Palmer Village (25HW1), which is a well known site that 
was occupied by the Skidi band of the Pawnee from at least A.D. 1804 to 
A.D. 1836, and was observed and recorded by a number of explorers to 
the area. Museum officials have been able to document Mr. Brooking and 
Mr. Hill as having conducted excavations at the Palmer Village. Waldo 
Wedel conducted an official survey of the Palmer Village on June 13, 
1936 for the Nebraska State Historical Society. John Johnson owned the 
land at the time of the survey and allowed some work. It is likely that 
the some of the village spread into and resides on land once owned by 
H. Goering whose land is adjacent to Mr. Johnson's land. The site is 
designated as an historic Skidi Pawnee earthlodge village.
    Museum officials have determined, based on museum records and 
evidence of donors associated with the site, that the above human 
remains and associated funerary objects are from sites associated with 
a Skidi village, possibly the Palmer Village, and are culturally 
affiliated with the Pawnee.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from a grave near Cushing, Howard County, NE. 
The human remains were donated to the Hastings Museum by Robert 
Merchant and cataloged in 1960 (29365). No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    There are no known sites attributed to Cushing, NE. However, there 
are numerous sites attributed to the Palmer area, which is 10 miles to 
the southeast of Cushing. The Palmer Site (25HW1) is located northwest 
of the town of Palmer, making it also in the vicinity of Cushing. Based 
on this information, morphology report, and geographic region of Pawnee 
occupation, museum officials have determined that the human remains 
probably came from the Palmer site and are highly likely to be 
culturally affiliated with the Pawnee.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of five 
individuals were removed from the Hanna Larson Site (25PT1) in Platte 
County, NE. The human remains were excavated from the yard of Wm. 
Christman and donated by Mr. Christman to the Hastings Museum in 1944 
(24733). No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    Nebraska State Historical Society and museum records are consistent 
with information on the site known as the Hanna Larson Site. The site 
was occupied form A.D. 1650 to A.D. 1750 and is culturally identified 
with the Lower Loup Focus of the Pahuk Aspect of the late Ceramic 
Period.
    The Lower Loup Phase sites are located in areas also associated 
with historic Pawnee sites. The Lower Loup material culture suggests 
that they are ancestors of the Pawnee. Descendants of the Pawnee are 
members of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.
    According to museum records, the human remains were originally 
cataloged as a complete or nearly complete skeleton for each of these 
individuals (02983, 03177, 03224, 03255, 01797, 06452, 03202, 11216, 
24733). However, during inventory review in the 1990s, only cranial and 
partial post cranial remains were found with the accession numbers. 
Also during inventory review, the museum identified a number of 
commingled human remains that had been in an exhibit in the late 1930s 
or early 1940s, which represented human remains taken from ossuaries. 
When the exhibit closed, unnumbered human remains were mingled 
together. Officials of the Hastings Museum reasonably believe that some 
of the commingled remains are part of the individuals described above. 
An additional site that is reasonably believed to have commingled human 
remains from this exhibit are described in a companion notice.
    Officials of the Hastings Museum have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent the 
physical remains of 63 individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the Hastings Museum also have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 1,085 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 Hastings Museum 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 Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson, Hastings Museum of 
Natural and Cultural History, 1330 N Burlington, PO Box 1286, Hastings, 
NE 68902, telephone (402) 461-2399, before April 7, 2008. Repatriation 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Pawnee 
Nation of Oklahoma may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The Hastings Museum is responsible for notifying the Crow Tribe of 
Montana; Omaha Tribe of Nebraska; Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, 
Oklahoma; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Indians of 
Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in 
Kansas and Nebraska; Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation, North Dakota; and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, 
Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma that this notice has been published

    Dated: January 30, 2008.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-4323 Filed 3-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S