[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 75 (Thursday, April 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20937-20939]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8301]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: California Department of Parks 
and Recreation, Sacramento, CA

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 the California Department of Parks and 
Recreation, Sacramento, CA. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from Butte County, CA.
    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 California 
Department of Parks and Recreation Committee on Repatriation and 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of Mechoopda 
Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, California; Round Valley Indian Tribes 
of the Round Valley Reservation, California; and United Maidu Nation, a 
non-federally recognized Indian group. The Berry Creek Rancheria of 
Maidu Indians of California; Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians of 
California; and Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California were 
contacted to participate in the consultations.
    In February and April of 1963, human remains representing a minimum 
of 25 individuals were removed from the Murphy site, located 3 miles 
southeast of Gridley, on the west bank of the Feather River in southern 
Butte County, CA. The site was excavated by volunteer students from 
Chico State College, Sacramento State College, and American River 
College in Sacramento, CA, under the direction of William H. Olsen. No 
known individuals were identified. The 546 associated funerary objects 
are 457 beads, 4 blades, 3 bone tools, 2 bowls, 1 disk, 6 flakes, 1 
flaker, 15 food remains, 2 gorge hooks, 1 hammer stone, 1 incised tube, 
1 knife, 9 ornaments, 2 pestles, 9 pins, 17 projectile points, 1 quartz 
crystal, 2 rocks, 1 scraper, 1 seed, 2 utilized flakes, and 8 whistles.
    Excavations at the Murphy site were intended to salvage materials 
and information prior to site destruction for agriculture, and were 
related to researching the cultural chronology of the Lake Oroville 
vicinity. The Murphy site, dated circa A.D. 500-1500, is attributed to 
the Bidwell Complex (A.D. 1-A.D. 800), Sweetwater Complex (A.D. 800-
1500), and Oroville Complex (A.D. 1500-1833). These sequences have been 
linked as the cultural antecedents of the Maidu. Geographic affiliation 
is consistent with the historically documented Konkow, also known as 
Northwestern Maidu.
    In 1957, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from the Garner's Cave site, which is located 7 miles 
north of Chico along Rock Creek in northern Butte County, CA. In 1957, 
the human remains and associated funerary objects were donated to the 
State Indian Museum, which is part of the California Department of 
Parks and Recreation, by Otis Croy of Yuba City, CA. No known 
individual was identified. The 41 associated funerary objects are 1 
awl, 1 basketry material, 1 botanical sample, 2 choppers, 1 cord, 11 
food remains, 1 net, 1 reed, 16 seeds, 2 twigs, and 4 unidentified wood 
samples.

[[Page 20938]]

    Based on a May 1992 check of the California Office of Historic 
Preservation site files, identification of this collection as Garner's 
Cave was determined. The cave was named for the landowner Jay Garner of 
Chico, CA. The burial from the Garner's Cave site has been attributed 
to the proto-Historic period. The Bidwell Complex, Sweetwater Complex, 
and Oroville Complex are sequences that have been linked as the 
cultural antecedents of the Maidu in the region. No lineal descendant 
has been identified. Geographic affiliation is consistent with the 
historically documented Konkow or Northwestern Maidu.
    In 1966 and 1967, human remains representing a minimum of 125 
individuals were removed from the Tie-Wiah site, located 6 miles 
northeast of Oroville, now under the main body of Lake Oroville; 
formerly northeast of the confluence of the North and South Forks of 
the Feather River, southeastern Butte County, CA. The site was first 
excavated by American River College in 1964 under the direction of 
Charles Gebhardt. In 1966, the California Department of Parks and 
Recreation sponsored excavations under the direction of Eric W. Ritter. 
In 1967, the excavation was under the direction of Roland Gage of 
Sacramento State College, as part of a salvage archeology excavation 
prior to inundation by Lake Oroville, with funds provided by the 
Department of Water Resources. No known individuals were identified. 
The 1,301 associated funerary objects are 3 acorns, 1 antler tine, 5 
awls, 18 beads, 2 bifaces, 1 blade, 11 bone tools, 59 bowls, 1 burin 
and knife, 5 charcoal samples, 14 choppers, 1 chopper and core, 2 
cores, 1 drill, 240 flakes, 732 food remains, 1 gorge, 1 hammer stone 
and mano, 18 hammer stones, 26 knives, 5 manos, 11 metates, 5 mortars, 
1 mud dob, 22 pestles, 2 pigments, 6 pipes, 1 projectile point 
fragment, 37 projectile points, 34 quartz crystals, 1 rod, 15 scrapers, 
4 scraper planes, 5 seeds, 2 seed beaters, 1 shaft straightner, 2 
tubes, 3 unknown steatite and glass, 1 whetstone, and 1 whistle.
    The Tie-Wiah site appears to have been occupied intermittently from 
the Messilla Complex (circa 1000 B.C.-A.D.1), Bidwell Complex, 
Sweetwater Complex, and finally to the Oroville Complex. The oldest 
radiocarbon date from the Tie-Wiah site is 950 years B.P. (150 years). The Bidwell Complex, Sweetwater Complex, and Oroville 
Complex are sequences that have been linked as the cultural antecedents 
of the Maidu in the region. Geographic affiliation is consistent with 
the historically documented Konkow or Northwestern Maidu. No lineal 
descendants have been identified.
    In 1960 and 1961, human remains representing a minimum of 56 
individuals were removed from the Chapman site, Sweetwater Springs, 
located 3 miles north of Oroville, north of the Thermalito Diversion 
Pool, east of Morris Ravine in south central Butte County, CA, during 
excavations on the site by William H. Olsen and Francis A. Riddell of 
the State Indian Museum. In 1979, the human remains were transferred 
from Sutter's Fort Annex in Sacramento to the State Archeological 
Collections and Research Facility in West Sacramento and inventoried by 
the California Department of Parks and Recreation in 1982. No known 
individuals were identified. The 1,480 associated funerary objects are 
1 antler, 9 awls, 1,143 beads, 8 blades, 9 bone tools, 24 bowls, 1 
chopper, 4 cobbles, 3 cores, 1 core/scraper, 33 flakes, 69 food 
remains, 1 glass fragment, 1 gorge hook, 7 hammer stones, 11 incised 
bones, 4 knives, 5 manos, 5 metates, 1 mortar, 28 ornaments, 2 
pendants, 7 pestles, 2 pigments, 3 pipes, 74 projectile points, 6 
quartz crystals, 5 scrapers, 1 slide sample, 7 spatulas, 3 spoons, 1 
utilized flake, and 1 whetstone.
    The Chapman site is attributed to the Sweetwater Complex. The 
Sweetwater Complex has been linked as the cultural antecedents of the 
Maidu in the region. The associated funerary objects are consistent 
with the occupation of the site by people attributed to the Sweetwater 
Complex. Geographic affiliation is consistent with the historically 
documented Konkow or Northwestern Maidu. No lineal descendants have 
been identified.
    In the mid-1960s, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown site, located 8 miles north of 
Oroville, 2 miles southwest of Cherokee, along the Western Pacific 
Railroad in central Butte County, CA, possibly during surveys and 
excavations for the Lake Oroville reservoir project. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The site is attributed to the Messilla Complex. The Messilla 
Complex has been attributed to a possible sporadic occupation of the 
area by an intrusion of Hokan speakers. However, the succeeding Bidwell 
Complex, Sweetwater Complex, and Oroville Complex are sequences that 
have been linked as the cultural antecedents of the Maidu. Generally, 
archeologists believe that the Penutian-speaking Maidu are descended 
from what have been identified as the Windmiller people who occupied 
the Central Valley of California from 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. No 
lineal descendant has been identified. Geographic affiliation is 
consistent with the historically documented Konkow (Northwestern 
Maidu).
    In 1961 and 1962, human remains representing a minimum of seven 
individuals were removed from the Western Pacific Railroad Relocation 
site, 8 miles north of Oroville, along the Western Pacific Railroad 
line in south central Butte County, CA, by the Central California 
Archaeological Foundation, directed by William H. Olsen and Francis A. 
Riddell, during excavations under contract to California Department of 
Parks and Recreation with funds provided by Department of Water 
Resources. Mr. Riddell directed a second phase of excavations in the 
summer of 1962 with a Chico State College archeological field methods 
class. The new Western Pacific Railroad line cut through the site, 
almost completely destroying it. The old railroad right-of-way was 
inundated by Lake Oroville. No known individuals were identified. The 
62 associated funerary objects are 2 blades, 11 flakes, 39 food 
remains, 1 metate, 1 projectile point, and 8 whistles.
    The Western Pacific Railroad site was occupied from circa A.D. 800 
to 1833, during both Sweetwater Complex (to A.D. 1500) and Oroville 
Complex (after A.D. 1500), which have been linked as cultural 
antecedents of the Maidu. There are two radiocarbon dates from the site 
with the first at 370 years B.P. (+150) and the second at 565 B.P. 
(+250). The associated funerary objects are consistent with the 
occupation of the site by people attributed to the Sweetwater Complex. 
No lineal descendant has been identified. Geographic affiliation is 
consistent with the historically documented Konkow (Northwestern 
Maidu).
    In 1964, human remains representing a minimum of 15 individuals 
were removed from an unknown site, 3 miles northeast of Oroville, 
downstream from the Oroville Dam spillway, along the Thermalito 
Diversion Pool, in south central Butte County, CA, under the direction 
of Francis A. Riddell, State Indian Museum with funds provided by the 
Department of Water Resources. A significant portion of the deposit has 
been removed due to natural erosion and vandalism. No known individuals 
were identified. The 1,420 associated funerary objects are 4 awls, 12 
beads, 1 blade, 13 bone tools, 6 bowls, 2 charcoal samples, 2 choppers, 
14 cobbles, 17 cores, 1 core/scrapper, 2 drills, 421 flakes, 845 food 
remains, 1 hammer stone/mano, 8 hammer stones, 6 knives,

[[Page 20939]]

2 knife/scraper, 5 manos, 1 metate, 5 pendants, 3 pestles, 2 pigment, 2 
pins, 1 pipe, 11 projectile points, 4 quartz crystals, 4 rocks, 1 rod, 
14 scrapers, 3 seeds, 3 slags, 1 unknown, 2 utilized flakes, and 1 wood 
sample.
    The burials have been attributed to the Bidwell Complex. The oldest 
radiocarbon date from the site is 2,800 years B.P. (100 
years). The Bidwell Complex, Sweetwater Complex, and Oroville Complex 
are sequences that have been linked as the cultural antecedents of the 
Maidu. The associated funerary objects are consistent with the 
occupation of the site by people attributed to the Bidwell Complex. 
Generally, archeologists believe that the Penutian-speaking Maidu are 
descended from what have been identified as the Windmiller people who 
occupied the Central Valley of California from 3,000 to 4,000 years 
ago. No lineal descendant has been identified. Geographic affiliation 
is consistent with the historically documented Konkow (Northwestern 
Maidu).
    In 1930, human remains representing a minimum number of two 
individuals were removed from the Bidwell Ranch site, 4 miles east of 
Chico, 6 miles west of Paradise, along Little Chico Creek, from the 
Bidwell Ranch, in northwestern Butte County, CA, by a private 
individual on private land. On January 13, 1930, the collection was 
received by the State Indian Museum from J. McCord Stilson of Chico, 
CA, and purchased in 1933 from one of his heirs, Mrs. Harry Clark of 
Hamilton City. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    The age of the human remains is unknown. No lineal descendants have 
been identified. The Bidwell Ranch's geographic location is consistent 
with the historically documented Konkow or Northwestern Maidu 
territory.
    Butte County, CA, is in the Central Valley region of California and 
the traditional lands of the Maidu. The history of the formation of 
California Indian reservations and rancherias in the Central Valley 
regions of California reveal that the descendants of the historical 
Konkow (Northwestern Maidu) were ultimately dispersed to several 
federally recognized Native American groups. Descendants of the Konkow 
or Northwestern Maidu are members of the federally recognized tribes of 
the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; Enterprise 
Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; Mechoopda Indian Tribe of 
Chico Rancheria, California; Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of 
California; and Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley 
Reservation, California.
    Officials of the California Department of Parks and Recreation have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of a minimum of 232 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the California 
Department of Parks and Recreation also have determined that, pursuant 
to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 4,850 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 California Department of Parks and 
Recreation 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 Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of 
California; Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; 
Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, California; Mooretown 
Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; and Round Valley Indian 
Tribes of the Round Valley Reservation, California.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Paulette Hennum, NAGPRA Coordinator, California 
Department of Parks and Recreation, 1416 Ninth Street, Room 902, 
Sacramento, CA 95814, telephone (916) 653-7976, before May 19, 2008. 
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to 
the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; Enterprise 
Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; Mechoopda Indian Tribe of 
Chico Rancheria, California; Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians, 
California; and Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley 
Reservation, California may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The California Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible 
for notifying the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; 
Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; Mechoopda Indian 
Tribe of Chico Rancheria, California; Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu 
Indians, California; and Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley 
Reservation, California that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 19, 2008.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-8301 Filed 4-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S