[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 250 (Tuesday, December 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79907-79908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30895]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: San Diego Museum of Man, San 
Diego, CA

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 
San Diego Museum of Man, San Diego, CA. The human remains were removed 
from Clark and Nye Counties, NV.
    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 San 
Diego Museum of Man professional staff in consultation with the Paiute-
Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada, acting on 
behalf of the Great Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, a non-
Federally recognized Indian group, which represents the Battle Mountain 
Shoshone Tribe (Constituent Band of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western 
Shoshone Indians of Nevada); Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of 
California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, 
Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians 
of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the 
Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the 
Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the 
Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; Paiute-Shoshone 
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian 
Colony, Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, 
Nevada; South Fork Band (Constituent Band of the Te-Moak Tribe of 
Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada); Susanville Indian Rancheria, 
California; Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada; Washoe 
Tribe of Nevada & California; Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba 
Reservation, Nevada; and the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, a non-
Federally recognized Indian group. Direct consultation was made with 
the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; 
Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation, 
Nevada; and Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, 
Nevada.
    Between 1933 and 1936, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from Moapa, Clark County, NV. On February 22, 
1968, the human remains were donated to the San Diego Museum of Man 
(1968-7-1). No known individual was identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    The donor found the human remains while working on the ``Home 
Ranch,'' 8 miles northwest of Moapa. The skull and mandible were 
discovered in a crevasse that had apparently been used as a communal 
burial pit, as it contained additional human remains. It is thought by 
the donor that these human remains were part of a modern Paiute burial 
since the modern inhabitants of the area were, and still are, Paiute.
    Representatives at the San Diego Museum of Man dated the human 
remains to be ``probably 20th century.'' After colonization by the 
Mormons in the 19th century, available literature supports evidence 
that the modern Southern Paiute people shifted from cremation to 
burial. Depositing a body in a rock cleft or shallow wash would be 
considered a burial. The closest modern-day Southern Paiute tribal 
entity to inhabit the area nearest to the discovery site in the 20th 
century is the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian 
Reservation, Nevada. The museum finds the human remains to be 
reasonably culturally affiliated to the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of 
the Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada, who, through Resolution No. 
M 07-11-32, agree to be part of the Great Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA 
Coalition, and therefore agree to be represented by the Paiute-Shoshone 
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada, who are making 
claim to the human remains.
    At an unknown time, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location near Belmont, Nye 
County, NV. On August 14, 1974, the human remains were donated to the 
San Diego Museum of Man as a gift (1973-65-1). No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Little information is known about the discovery and collection of 
this individual. San Diego Museum of Man representatives have dated the 
human remains to ``prehistoric'' time and from an ``aboriginal 
southwest'' culture. However, the ``prehistoric'' designation remains 
vague since a specific date or date range has not been assigned to the 
human remain since it was removed from its site of origin before 
further analysis of the site could be performed. The specific location 
of the site remains unknown to this day. Available literature supports 
evidence that aboriginal occupation of the central portion of Nevada 
took place by the ethnographically represented Western Shoshone people 
for at least the last 1,000 years. This information is not fully 
supported by all literature and debate continues over the length of an 
unbroken aboriginal occupation. Since a ``prehistoric'' designation 
remains vague, it is unlikely that a specific tribal affiliation can be 
assigned to the Native American human remain. However, a review of the 
available literature demonstrates ethnographically, linguistically, 
and/or archeologically, that the present-day Western Shoshone have both 
historic and prehistoric ties to the general geographic area near 
Belmont, NV. Therefore, the museum finds the human remains to be 
reasonably culturally affiliated to the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the 
Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada, who are making this claim and 
acting on behalf of the Federally-recognized tribes that comprise the 
Western Shoshone, which are also members of the Great Basin Inter-
Tribal NAGPRA Coalition.
    Officials of the San Diego Museum of Man 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 San Diego Museum of Man have also 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 Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 
Reservation and Colony, Nevada, acting on behalf of the Great Basin 
Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, a non-Federally recognized Indian group, 
which represents the Battle Mountain Band (Constituent Band of the Te-
Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada); Bridgeport Paiute 
Indian Colony of California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater 
Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Las Vegas Tribe of 
Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute 
Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute 
Indians of the

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Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the 
Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; Paiute-Shoshone 
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian 
Colony, Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, 
Nevada; South Fork Band (Constituent Band of the Te-Moak Tribe of 
Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada); Susanville Indian Rancheria, 
California; Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada; Washoe 
Tribe of Nevada & California; Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba 
Reservation, Nevada; and the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, a non-
Federally recognized Indian group.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Philip 
Hoog, the San Diego Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San 
Diego, CA 92101, telephone (619) 239-2001, before January 29, 2009. 
Repatriation of the human remains to the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the 
Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada, acting on behalf of the Great 
Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, a non-Federally recognized Indian 
group, which represents the Battle Mountain Band; Bridgeport Paiute 
Indian Colony of California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater 
Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Las Vegas Tribe of 
Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute 
Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute 
Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone 
Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; 
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; 
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck 
Valley Reservation, Nevada; South Fork Band; Susanville Indian 
Rancheria, California; Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of 
Nevada; Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California; Yomba Shoshone Tribe of 
the Yomba Reservation, Nevada; and the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, 
a non-Federally recognized Indian group, may proceed after that date if 
no additional claimants come forward.
    The San Diego Museum of Man is responsible for notifying the Battle 
Mountain Band; Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California; Duckwater 
Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe 
of Nevada; Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian 
Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, 
Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian 
Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of 
the Bishop Colony, California; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 
Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; 
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada; South 
Fork Band; Susanville Indian Rancheria, California; Te-Moak Tribe of 
Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada; Washoe Tribe of Nevada & 
California; Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation, Nevada; and 
the Great Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, a non-Federally 
recognized Indian group; and the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, a non-
Federally recognized Indian group, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: December 8, 2008
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-30895 Filed 12-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S