[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 42 (Thursday, March 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9631-9632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4675]



[[Page 9631]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Southwest Museum of the American 
Indian, Autry National Center, Los Angeles, 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 and associated funerary 
objects in the control of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, 
Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects were removed from Kern County, CA.
    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 and associated funerary objects. The National 
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Picayune 
Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian 
Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table Mountain 
Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River 
Reservation of California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the 
Tuolumne Rancheria of California.
    In an unknown year, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown site in Buttonwillow, Kern 
County, CA (Cat. 17.c.11). The museum has no additional 
information regarding the circumstances of the removal or the museum's 
acquisition of the human remains. No known individual was identified. 
No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1935, human remains representing a minimum of 12 individuals 
were removed from burials at site
    P-15-000116 (CA-KER-116) in Elk Hills Cemetery, Buena Vista Lake, 
Kern County, CA, by Edwin F. Walker, Southwest Museum Research 
Associate, and were donated to the museum that same year (Accn. 
11.F). No known individuals were identified. The 955 
associated funerary objects are 9 arrowpoints (8 chalcedony, 1 obsidian 
arrowpoint); 1 basket covered bowl fragment; 11 basket fragments; 1 
fragmented wooden bowl; 1 wooden bowl; 1 small round metal container; 1 
soapstone bowl fragment, 2 steatite bowl fragments; 1 cup; 1 cup 
fragment; 867 beads (435 blue beads, 37 red beads, 163 white beads, 1 
amber bead, 2 green beads, 1 polychrome bead, 8 pismo clam beads, 100 
seed beads, 1 black bead, 2 bone beads with tiny fragments, 67 olivella 
shell beads, 1 abalone bead, 1 clam shell bead, 23 light blue, 4 green 
and 21 trade beads); 5 strings of beads; 5 brass buttons; 1 clam shell 
disk; 1 steatite dish; 5 fabric fragments with small fragments as well; 
2 abalone shell gorgets; 1 nut; 16 shell ornaments (5 Columbella 
ornaments; 10 Hinnites ornaments and 1 pismo clam shell); 12 pendants 
(8 freshwater clams and 4 seawater clam shell); 2 pigment fragments; 1 
piece of leather rope; 1 fragmented limpet shell; 1 bag of well broken, 
powdered shell; 3 brass thimbles; 1 fiber water bottle; 1 clay whistle; 
and 1 whistle fragment.
    Historically, a Yokuts village extended along the north shore, on a 
sand spit, at the outlet of Buena Vista Lake. The Elk Hills Cemetery is 
located approximately 1,000 feet due north of this sand spit and Yokut 
village. The associated funerary objects removed from site P-15-000116 
(CA-KER-116) illustrate that this burial site was in use during the 
Historic Period, approximately between the years A.D. 1780 and 1818.
    The burial contexts identify the human remains removed from sites 
in Kern County, CA, as being Native American. Linguistic evidence 
indicates that this region of California was inhabited by Native 
American Yokut speakers. Consultation with a tribal representative of 
the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, 
California, confirmed that these burial sites were within an area, 
documented by Yokut oral history, of continued habitation that include 
the Protohistoric and Historic Periods. Historical sources corroborate 
this oral history. Modern descendants of Yokut speakers are members of 
the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa 
Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table 
Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule 
River Reservation of California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of 
the Tuolumne Rancheria of California.
    Officials of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry 
National Center have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-
10), the human remains described above represent the physical remains 
of 13 individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center also 
have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 955 
objects described above are reasonably believed to have been placed 
with or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as 
part of the death rite or ceremony. Lastly, officials of the Southwest 
Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center 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 associated funerary objects and the Picayune 
Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian 
Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table Mountain 
Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River 
Reservation of California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the 
Tuolumne Rancheria of California.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Steven Karr, Ph.D., Ahmanson Curator of History 
and Culture and Interim Executive Director, 234 Museum Drive, Los 
Angeles, CA 90065, telephone (323) 221-2164, extension 241, or LaLena 
Lewark, Senior NAGPRA Coordinator, Autry National Center, 4700 Western 
Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027, telephone (323) 667-2000, 
extension 220, before April 6, 2009. Repatriation of the human remains 
and associated funerary objects to the Santa Rosa Indian Community of 
the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center 
is responsible for notifying the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi 
Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa 
Rancheria, California; Table Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule 
River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation of California; and 
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria of California 
that this notice has been published.


[[Page 9632]]


    Dated: February 13, 2009.
Sangita Chari,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-4675 Filed 3-4-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S