[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 62 (Thursday, April 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14998-14999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7407]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Idaho, Alfred W. 
Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology, Moscow, ID

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 possession and control of the University of Idaho, 
Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology, Moscow, ID. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Park and 
Treasure Counties, MT.
    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 University 
of Idaho, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology professional 
staff in consultation with representatives of the Crow Tribe of 
Montana.
    On July 30, 1961, human remains representing a minimum of three 
individuals were removed along a cliff ledge on the property of Douglas 
and James Mouat (24TE0401), also known as Mouat Cliff Burial site, 
Treasure County, MT, during excavations by the Billings Archaeological 
Society. Prior to the excavation by the Billings Archaeological 
Society, the Mouat family discovered the burials and contacted the 
Society to document and excavate them. The human remains were cataloged 
by the Billings Archaeological Society. The human remains were then 
transferred to the University of Idaho, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of 
Anthropology for further inventory. No known individuals were 
identified. The 558 associated funerary objects are 220 beads, 26 lots 
of beads, 7 clothing items, 47 pieces of cloth, 12 pieces of leather, 5 
pipes, 2 bows, 2 modified sticks, 1 bottle, 1 toy, 11 buttons, 26 
bracelets, 15 pieces of ornamental metal, 134 pieces of miscellaneous 
metal, 13 non-human osteological elements, 19 mats of hair, 2 pieces of 
shell, 2 lots of feathers, 1 tobacco leaf, 2 minerals, 1 lithic 
artifact, and 9 ecofacts.
    The inventory of the associated funerary items and human remains 
was conducted by the University of Idaho by cross-matching existing 
documents, materials, and human remains. Historic, ethnographic, and 
legal documents were consulted to determine the cultural affiliation of 
this collection. Based on this information, the officials of the 
University of Idaho, Laboratory of Anthropology reasonably believe that 
the human remains are culturally affiliated to the Crow Tribe of 
Montana.
    Before April 1968, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Bullis Creek Burial (24PA0503), Park 
County, MT, during excavations by Larry Lahren. No known individual was 
identified. The 43 associated funerary objects are 8 lots of beads, 14 
non-human osteological elements, 2 mats of hair, 4 bracelets, 1 
miscellaneous piece of metal, 3 pieces of cloth, 2 clothing

[[Page 14999]]

items, 2 projectile points, 3 pieces of leather, and 4 ecofacts.
    Sometime between 1985 and 1990, the Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, 
MT, sent the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
University of Idaho. There is little known about the Bullis Creek 
collection before it came into the possession and control of the 
University of Idaho. What is known is that the site was documented by 
Mr. Lahren as a primary ``neo-Indian'' burial on property owned by the 
Brawner/Bullis families. In addition, the Museum of the Rockies had 
determined that the human remains were Crow, presumably by the location 
of the interment, clothing and beadwork style, and the other associated 
funerary objects.
    Historic, ethnographic, and legal documents affirmed the Museum of 
the Rockies' cultural affiliation of this reservation period collection 
through the cultural continuity exhibited in patterns of residence and 
strongly-represented painted motifs of the beadwork. Based on this 
information, the officials of the University of Idaho, Laboratory of 
Anthropology reasonably believe that the human remains are culturally 
affiliated to the Crow Tribe of Montana.
    Officials of the University of Idaho, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory 
of Anthropology have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-
10), the human remains described above represent the physical remains 
of four individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the 
University of Idaho, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology also 
have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 601 
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 University 
of Idaho, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology 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 Crow 
Tribe of Montana.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Leah K. Evans-Janke, Collections Manager, 
University of Idaho, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology, 
Phinney Hall 101, Moscow, ID 83844-1111, telephone (208) 885-3733, 
before May 4, 2009. Repatriation of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Crow Tribe of Montana may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The University of Idaho, Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of 
Anthropology is responsible for notifying the Crow Tribe of Montana 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 25, 2009.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-7407 Filed 4-1-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S