[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34320-34321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13570]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Slater Museum of Natural History, 
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

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 the 
Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, 
WA. The human remains were removed from Pierce County, WA.
    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 the Slater 
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound professional staff 
and a consultant in consultation with representatives of the 
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; 
Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, Washington; 
Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington; and Squaxin 
Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington.
    In 1933, human remains representing a minimum of two individuals 
were removed from Day Island in Pierce County, WA. The human remains 
were found in the Slater Museum collections with a note reading ``Day 
Is., Pierce Co., Wn. Indian remains about 1933. Alcorn. To museum. 
Round Case.'' No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    The postcranial remains were examined by a contracted physical 
anthropologist who determined they represent one older adult male and 
one adult female. Ancestry could not be determined due to the lack of 
cranial remains. However, there have been at least four Native American 
burials reportedly found by local residents on Day Island since the 
early 20th century. Based on the likely provenience from museum records 
and previous finds of Native American burials in that area, officials 
of the Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound, 
reasonably believe that the human remains are most likely of Native 
American ancestry.
    Day Island is located in the southeastern Puget Sound region, an 
area historically utilized by the Steilacoom, Puyallup, and Nisqually 
tribes. While the Indian Claims Commission (ICC) found Day Island to be 
outside of the exclusive treaty-time territory of any one Native group, 
both the Nisqually Indian Tribe and Puyallup Tribe of Indians included 
Day Island within their original land claims presented to the ICC. 
While there is no known evidence that an ethnographic village was 
located on Day Island, evidence reviewed by the museum demonstrates Day 
Island was used as a resource procurement site by the Nisqually and 
Puyallup Tribes, as well as the Steilacoom people. There are three 
recorded ethnographic villages located within four miles of Day Island 
which were occupied by members of the Steilacoom, Puyallup, and 
Nisqually peoples.
    The Steilacoom are a non-federally recognized tribe who were 
signatories of the Treaty of Medicine Creek (1854) and who were not 
granted exclusive reservation land. The Nisqually Indian Tribe provided 
evidence claiming residents of the Steilacoom villages at Clover Creek 
and Steilacoom (now Chambers) Creek had joined the Nisqually Indian 
Tribe after the Treaty of Medicine Creek. Evidence also shows that some 
residents of the Steilacoom Creek village joined the Puyallup Tribe. To 
the north of Day Island, across the Narrows in Wollochet Bay, was the 
third closest ethnographic village; this was considered by the 
ethnographer Marian Smith to be affiliated with the Puyallup Tribe 
(1941:207). The multiple affiliations of these nearby villages 
demonstrate joint use and occupation surrounding Day Island. 
Additionally, Day Island may have been used for

[[Page 34321]]

burials of Native Americans interned at Fox Island during the Treaty 
Wars. Members of the Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, and Steilacoom 
Tribes were reported to have been held there (Carpenter 1987). This 
evidence, in conjunction with the Indian Claim Commission's 
determination of the area as non-exclusive to any particular tribe, 
suggests Day Island is within the traditional territory of all three 
local groups: the Steilacoom, Nisqually, and Puyallup Tribes. The 
descendants of the Steilacoom, Nisqually, and Puyallup Tribes are 
members of the federally-recognized Nisqually Indian Tribe of the 
Nisqually Reservation, Washington, and Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington.
    Officials of the Slater Museum have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent the 
physical remains of two individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the Slater 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 Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, Washington 
and Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Peter 
Wimberger, Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound, 
1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, WA 98416, telephone (253) 879-2784, before July 
17, 2008. Repatriation of the human remains to the Nisqually Indian 
Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, Washington and Puyallup Tribe of 
the Puyallup Reservation, Washington may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The Slater Museum is responsible for notifying the Muckleshoot 
Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Nisqually 
Indian Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, Washington; Puyallup Tribe 
of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington; and Squaxin Island Tribe of 
the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: May 21, 2008
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-13570 Filed 6-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S