[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 104 (Thursday, May 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30968-30969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12000]


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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 in the possession of 
Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Hastings, NE. The 
human remains were removed from Douglas County, 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. 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 Omaha Tribe of Nebraska; Otoe-
Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Ponca 
Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; Three Affiliated 
Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota; and Wichita and 
Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of three 
individuals were removed from unknown sites in the area of Omaha, 
Douglas County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by A.M. Brooking and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (03194, 
03195, 03196). No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown site in the area of Omaha, 
Douglas County, NE. The human remains were donated to the Hastings 
Museum by J.E. Wallace and cataloged between 1926 and 1931 (01611). No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    The above human remains have been identified in morphology reports 
as being of Native American descent. The region near Omaha has been 
occupied by numerous cultures that have been identified in the 
archeological records. These cultures include Plains Woodland, Central 
Plains Tradition, Oneota, and historic tribes of the Oto-Missouria and 
Omaha. 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 ancestors 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.
    Based on museum records, geographical location, and morphology 
reports, museum officials have determined that the human remains are 
possibly Plains Woodland, Central Plains Tradition, Oneota, Omaha, or 
Oto-Missiouria. Descendants of the Plains Woodland, Central Plains 
Tradition, Oneota, Omaha, or Oto-Missiouria are members 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; Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort 
Berthold Reservation, North Dakota; and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, 
Oklahoma.
    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 agreed that the Pawnee shall make the 
claim for the human remains and cultural items affiliated with the 
Plains Woodland from Nebraska. The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska; Otoe-
Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Indians of 
Oklahoma; and Ponca Tribe of Nebraska also have agreed to allow the 
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma to claim the human remains.
    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 four individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the Hastings Museum 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 Crow Tribe of Montana; Omaha Tribe of Nebraska; Otoe-Missouria 
Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Ponca

[[Page 30969]]

Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; Three Affiliated 
Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota; and Wichita and 
Affiliated Tribes, Oklahoma.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains 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 June 30, 2008. Repatriation of the human remains to the 
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    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; Three Affiliated 
Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota; and Wichita and 
Affiliated Tribes, Oklahoma that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 27, 2008
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-12000 Filed 5-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S