[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 47 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 10757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5310]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service, Coronado National Forest, Tucson, AZ and Arizona State 
Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

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. 3003, of the 
completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects in the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service, Coronado National Forest, Tucson, AZ, and in the possession of 
the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Pima County, 
AZ.
    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 Arizona 
State Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives of 
the Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River 
Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community 
of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; and Tohono O'odham Nation of 
Arizona.
    In 1983, human remains representing a minimum of 20 individuals 
were removed from the Pima Canyon Site, Pima County, AZ, during legally 
authorized excavations by the Coronado National Forest. The human 
remains have remained in the possession of the Arizona State Museum 
since their excavation. No known individuals were identified. The 229 
associated funerary objects are pottery sherds, chipped stone tools and 
flakes. The associated funerary objects have remained in the possession 
of the Coronado National Forest since their excavation.
    Based on material culture and site components, the Pima Canyon Site 
is a multi-component site with multiple occupations from the Archaic 
Period (approximately 2,000 years ago) through the early and middle 
Hohokam Periods (approximately A.D. 500-1150) to the Historic Period 
(approximately A.D. 1700 to early 1900s). Because the human remains are 
Native American and because they are most likely from the Historic 
Period, the human remains from this site are most likely to be of 
O'odham ancestry. The oral traditions of the Ak Chin Indian Community 
of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila River 
Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt 
River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, 
Arizona; and Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona, support the cultural 
affiliation of these four Indian tribes with historic O'odham sites in 
this area of southeastern Arizona.
    Officials of the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona and 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Coronado National 
Forest have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the 
human remains described above represent the physical remains of 20 
individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Coronado National Forest 
have also determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 229 
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 U.S. 
Department of Agriculture 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 Ak Chin Indian Community of the 
Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt River 
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; 
and Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and/or associated 
funerary objects should contact Dr. Frank E. Wozniak, NAGPRA 
Coordinator, Southwestern Region, USDA Forest Service, 333 Broadway 
Blvd., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, telephone (505) 842-3238, before 
April 13, 2009. Repatriation of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak 
Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila River Indian Community of the 
Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 
Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; and Tohono O'odham 
Nation of Arizona may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Coronado 
National Forest is responsible for notifying the Ak Chin Indian 
Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila 
River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; 
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River 
Reservation, Arizona; and Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: February 20, 2009
David Tarler,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-5310 Filed 3-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S