[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47229-47230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-18688]


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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 the 
Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Hastings Museum), 
Hastings, NE. The human remains were removed from Oceana County, MI.
    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 professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Little 
River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of 
Odawa Indians, Michigan; and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of five 
individuals were removed from a grave near Hart in Oceana County, MI. 
No additional site information is available. The human remains were 
purchased by the Hastings Museum from Carl Strumf and cataloged into 
the collection in 1934. (12811,12812). No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Museum records lack sufficient information to culturally affiliate 
the human remains with any specific tribe. However, forensic 
information finds that the human remains are of Native American 
descent.
    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 five individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the Hastings Museum have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (2), a relationship of shared group identity cannot be 
reasonably traced between the Native American human remains and any 
present-day Indian Tribe.
    The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 
Committee (Review Committee) is responsible for recommending specific 
actions for disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains. In 
2008, the Hastings Museum requested that the Review Committee recommend 
disposition of the culturally unidentifiable human remains to the Grand 
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Little River 
Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 
Indians, Michigan; and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, as 
the aboriginal occupants of the lands near Hart, Oceana County, MI.
    The Review Committee considered the request at its May 15-16, 2008 
meeting and recommended disposition of the human remains to the Grand

[[Page 47230]]

Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Little River 
Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 
Indians, Michigan; and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. A 
June 6, 2008, letter on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior from 
the Designated Federal Official transmitted the authorization for the 
museum to effect disposition of the human remains of the five 
culturally unidentifiable individuals to the four Indian tribes listed 
above contingent on the publication of a Notice of Inventory Completion 
in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that requirement.
    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, PO 
Box 1286, Hastings, NE 68902, telephone (402) 461-2399, before 
September 12, 2008. Disposition of the human remains to the Grand 
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Little River 
Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 
Indians, Michigan; and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Hastings Museum is responsible for notifying the Grand Traverse 
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Little River Band of 
Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan; and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: July 22, 2008
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-18688 Filed 8-12-08; 8:45 am]
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