[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64367-64368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25764]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7, Anchorage, AK

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 
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 
7, Anchorage, AK. The human remains were removed from Carlisle Island 
in the Islands of the Four Mountains area of the Aleutian Islands chain 
in Alaska.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative

[[Page 64368]]

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 U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Region 7 professional staff with assistance from 
the Alaska State Office of History and Archaeology and University of 
Alaska, Anchorage, in consultation with representatives of the Aleut 
Corporation and Unangan Repatriation Commission, a non-federally 
recognized Native Alaskan group.
    In 1949, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from Carlisle Island, in the Islands of the Four Mountains 
area of the Aleutian Islands chain in Alaska, during an expedition by 
William S. Laughlin, a physical anthropologist. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    There are no radiocarbon dates available for the human remains. All 
known dated cave burials from the Aleutians are younger than 2,000 
years old (Black 1982, pg 24; Black 2003, pg 36; Hayes 2002). The 
burial context and physical traits of the human remains are consistent 
with those observed for pre-contact Aleut populations. Human remains 
and associated grave goods from sites in the Aleutians that were 
collected by Dr. Laughlin were sent to the University of Connecticut. 
In 2002, most of the Aleutian Island human remains were sent to The 
Museum of the Aleutians in Unalaska, AK.
    Analysis, including cranio-metric analysis, by the University of 
Alaska, Anchorage and with the assistance of the Alaska State Office of 
History and Archaeology, were done on the human remains. Radiocarbon 
dates were not obtained by the University of Alaska Anchorage or the 
State Office of History and Archaeology. Skeletal morphology of 
present-day Aleut populations is similar to that of prehistoric Aleut 
populations and demonstrates biological affiliation between present-day 
Aleut groups and prehistoric populations in the Aleutian Islands.
    Cultural affiliation between the prehistoric population on Carlisle 
Island and the Chaluka Corporation and Native Village of Nikolski is 
demonstrated by recent historical records. In 1741, Russian explorers 
made contact with the people of the Islands of the Four Mountains. 
These people and their culture are not well known, but were a distinct 
variant of the Aleutian culture. In the late 1700s, with Russian 
assistance, the Umnak Aleuts waged war on the people of the Islands of 
the Four Mountains. Survivors of the conflict were removed to villages 
on Umnak Island and absorbed into the population and the population of 
the Islands of the Four Mountains was ``no more'' by 1790 (Black 1982, 
pg 20). Based on scientific studies, aboriginal occupation, historical 
records, and burial context, it is reasonably believed that the 
descendants of the people of the Islands of the Four Mountains, 
including Carlisle Island, are members of the present-day Chaluka 
Corporation and Native Village of Nikolski, which is represented by the 
Nikolski IRA Council.
    Officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7 have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry. Officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Region 7 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 
Chaluka Corporation and Native Village of Nikolski.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Debra 
Corbett, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, 
Anchorage, AK 99503, telephone (907) 786-3399, before November 28, 
2008. Repatriation of the human remains to the Chaluka Corporation and 
Native Village of Nikolski may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7 is responsible for 
notifying the Chaluka Corporation Native Village of Nikolski, and 
Nikolski IRA Council that this notice has been published.

    Dated: September 30, 2008
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-25764 Filed 10-28-08; 8:45 am]
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