[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 169 (Friday, August 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50996-50997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20111]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: St. Lawrence University, 
Department of Anthropology, Canton, NY

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 St. 
Lawrence University, Department of Anthropology, Canton, NY. The human 
remains were removed from St. Lawrence County, NY.
    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 remain. The National Park Service is not responsible for 
the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remain was made by professional 
staff of the Department of Anthropology at St. Lawrence University in 
consultation with representatives of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New 
York (formerly the St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians of New York).
    At an unknown date, but probably either in 1928 or 1948, a human 
remain representing a minimum of one individual was removed from 
private land near Gouverneur in St. Lawrence County, NY, by John Frank 
Murray. Mr. Murray kept the human remain safely stored in his basement 
until the 1980s. During the early 1980's (1983 at the latest), Mr. 
Murray turned over the human remain to Lauren (Foster) French, who was 
a student at St. Lawrence University. Ms. French then turned the human 
remain over to Dr. John Barthelme of the Department Anthropology at St. 
Lawrence University. On January 16, 2008, Dr. Richard A. Gonzalez took 
custody of the human remain. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    The human remain is the cranium of a single individual. After 
conducting morphological analysis on the cranium, Dr. Gonzalez 
determined that the cranium belonged to an individual of Native 
American descent, as the craniofacial features are consistent with 
features present in crania of individuals of Native American descent. 
Specifically, the cranium exhibits artificial remodeling of the 
occipital region of the cranium, which is consistent with cranial 
alterations resulting from cradle-boarding. Cradle-boarding was 
commonly practiced among the Iroquois.
    The region of Gouverneur has been constantly occupied by Native 
Americans from 10,000 BP up to the historic period and beyond. The St. 
Lawrence River and its tributaries were continually used as part of 
Native American hunting and fishing grounds. During the French and 
Indian War, Native Americans who lived in the Oswegatchie River region 
(Oswegatchie is a tributary of the St. Lawrence River) were dislocated 
as a result of the war. Native American refugees were forced to settle 
at St. Regis, NY. Consultation with tribal representatives of the Saint 
Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York provided additional lines of evidence.
    Through ongoing consultation with Native American groups and Lauren 
French, examination of the human remains, and review of the available 
literature, officials of St. Lawrence University have determined that 
the human remain is Native American and most likely culturally 
affiliated with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York.
    Officials of the Department of Anthropology at St. Lawrence 
University have determined that,

[[Page 50997]]

pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remain described above 
represents the physical remain of one individual of Native American 
ancestry. Officials of the Department of Anthropology at St. Lawrence 
University 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 remain and the Saint Regis 
Mohawk Tribe, New York.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remain should contact Dr. 
Richard A. Gonzalez, Department of Anthropology, St. Lawrence 
University, Canton, NY 13617, telephone (315) 229-5745, before 
September 29, 2008. Repatriation of the human remain to the Saint Regis 
Mohawk Tribe, New York may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    St. Lawrence University is responsible for notifying the Saint 
Regis Mohawk Tribe, New York that this notice has been published.

    Dated: July 31, 2008.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-20111 Filed 8-28-08; 8:45 am]
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