[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 11, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10613-10614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5315]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate a Cultural Item: San Diego Museum 
of Man, San Diego, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent 
to repatriate a cultural item in the possession of the San Diego Museum 
of Man, San Diego, CA, that meets the definition of ``object of 
cultural patrimony'' under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural 
item. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.

[[Page 10614]]

    In 1986, one Wihosa mask was acquired from Sylvester Matthias, a 
Pima, from Komatke, AZ, who inherited it as the last person in the 
(hereditary) line. The cultural item is used in the Navichu ceremony.
    Recorded information from museum records about the object of 
cultural patrimony states that the item was located on traditional Pima 
(Akimel O'odham) land. A tribal representative for the Gila River 
Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, 
communicated to the San Diego Museum of Man that the item is an object 
of cultural patrimony and has ongoing historical, traditional, or 
cultural importance central to the Gila River Indian Community of the 
Gila River Indian Reservation itself, rather than being property owned 
by an individual. The Wihosa mask is still used in the Navichu ceremony 
and is not the property of a single individual. This object of cultural 
patrimony was previously described in a Notice of Intent to Repatriate 
in the Federal Register (73 FR 59653, October 9, 2008), and had been 
culturally affiliated to the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona. Since 
publication of the October 9, 2008 notice, the Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, has claimed 
the Wihosa mask as culturally affiliated to them.
    Officials of the San Diego Museum of Man have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(D), the one cultural item described 
above has ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance 
central to the Native American group or culture itself, rather than 
property owned by an individual. Officials of the San Diego Museum of 
Man 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 object of cultural patrimony and the Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the object of cultural patrimony should 
contact Philip Hoog, Archaeology and NAGPRA Coordinator, San Diego 
Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101, 
telephone (619) 239-2001, before April 10, 2009. Repatriation of the 
object of cultural patrimony to the Gila River Indian Community of the 
Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona may proceed after that date if 
no additional claimants come forward.
    The San Diego Museum of Man is responsible for notifying the Gila 
River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona 
and Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: February 12, 2009
Sangita Chari,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-5315 Filed 3-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S