[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 45 (Thursday, March 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12212-12214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4325]


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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.

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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 possession of Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural 
History, Hastings, NE. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from the Franklin, Harlan, 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;

[[Page 12213]]

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.
    In June 1926, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Marshall Ossuary (25HN1) in Harlan 
County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings Museum by 
A.M. Brooking, the museum founder (03635). No known individual was 
identified. The 2,339 associated funerary objects are 2,339 shell beads 
of various sizes (03636).
    The Marshall Ossuary is located on the Republican River and is 
believed to have been used by the people of the Plains Woodland or 
Central Plains Tradition.
    On April 1, 1938, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Wentworth site in Franklin County, NE. 
The human remains were donated to the museum by Les Goldsbury and 
cataloged in 1938 (18072). No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Archeological evidence indicates that the Plains Woodland, Central 
Plains Tradition, and Pawnee people have sporadically lived and hunted 
in what is now Franklin County.
    On unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from a grave 2 miles southwest of Franklin in 
Franklin County, NE. The human remains were given to the Hastings 
Museum by Les Goldsbury and cataloged in 1936 (16019). No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of four 
individuals were removed from an unknown site around Bloomington, 
Franklin County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by Les Goldsbury, Garret Fritzson and A.M. Brooking, and 
cataloged in 1936 (16024). No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from an ossuary near Guide Rock, Webster 
County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings Museum by 
A.M. Brooking and cataloged in 1934 (12620). No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1932, human remains representing a minimum of three individuals 
were removed from unknown sites near Guide Rock in Webster County, NE. 
The human remains were donated to the Hastings Museum by J.C. Samms and 
A.T. Hill and cataloged in 1934 (12645, 12646, 12647). No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals were removed from one or more ossuaries near Guide Rock, 
Webster County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by unknown donors and cataloged between 1934 and 1935 (14015, 
13120). No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    According to museum records, the human remains from 2 miles 
southwest of Franklin in Franklin County were originally cataloged as a 
complete or nearly complete skeleton for each of the individuals 
(16019). 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. 
Additional sites with commingled human remains are listed in a 
companion notice.
    Franklin and Webster Counties are spanned by the Republican River 
and have rich river bottoms conducive to agriculture. The Plains 
Woodland, Central Plains Tradition, and Pawnee people have sporadically 
lived and hunted in this region for over 1,000 years. There are several 
known village sites, burial mounds, and ossuaries located within the 
counties that document all three cultural occupations of this area. 
Based on museum records, geographic region, documented sites, and 
morphology reports, museum officials have determined that the human 
remains are likely associated with Plains Woodland, Central Plains 
Tradition or Pawnee.
    Pawnee oral tradition states that the Central Plains Tradition 
people are ancestors to the Arikara and Pawnee, and possibly the 
Wichita. According to Pawnee oral history the Plains Woodlands people 
are ancestor to the Pawnee, Mandan, Arikara, Hidatsa, and Crow. Oral 
history information has some of the people of Mill Creek staying behind 
and becoming part of the Central Plains Tradition based on common oral 
traditions through origin and corn stories.
    Museum officials have determined based on museum records, 
geographic location, Pawnee oral tradition, and anthropological 
research that the Central Plains Tradition people are ancestors to the 
Arikara and Pawnee, and possibly the Wichita. In addition, museum 
officials have determined based on museum records, geographic location 
and oral tradition that the Plains Woodland people are ancestors of the 
Arikara, Crow, Hidatsa, Mandan, and Pawnee. The Arikara, Pawnee, and 
Wichita have entered into an agreement that human remains and funerary 
objects located between the Missouri River and the Smokey Hill River 
shall be claimed by the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. The Hidatsa have 
also agreed that the Pawnee shall make the claim for people and items 
affiliated with the Plains Woodland from Nebraska.
    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 15 individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the Hastings Museum also have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 2,339 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 Crow Tribe of Montana; Pawnee 
Nation of Oklahoma; Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation, North Dakota; and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, 
Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), 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.

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    The Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History 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. E8-4325 Filed 3-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S