[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 87 (Thursday, May 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21384-21385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-10545]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Arizona State Museum, University 
of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

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 
Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. The human 
remains were removed from an unknown location, possibly in southern 
Arizona.
    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 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.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from an unknown location by Russell Hastings. 
No additional site information is available. The human remains were 
given by Mr. Hastings to Roger Carpenter sometime around 1940. In 2007, 
Mr. Carpenter donated the human remains to the Arizona State Museum 
(AT-2007-39). No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    Mr. Hastings was a contractor who lived in Tucson, AZ, and it is 
possible that the human remains were found in southern Arizona. The 
human remains are mummified. In Arizona, mummified remains have been 
reported exclusively from dry cave sites and are associated with pre-
historic Native American cultures. Based on the condition of the human 
remains, it is more likely than not that they are of Native American 
ancestry. However, there is insufficient contextual information to 
culturally affiliate the human remains with any specific, present-day 
Indian tribe.
    Officials of the Arizona State Museum have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above 
represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American 
ancestry. Officials of the Arizona State Museum also have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), a relationship of shared group 
identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American human 
remains and any present-day Indian tribe.
    The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 
Committee (Review Committee) is responsible for recommending specific 
actions for disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains. In 
2008, the Arizona State Museum requested that the Review Committee 
recommend disposition of the culturally unidentifiable human remains to 
the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona, as aboriginal and historic 
occupants of lands in southern Arizona. The Review Committee considered 
the request at its October 11-12, 2008 meeting and recommended 
disposition of the human remains to the Tohono O'odham Nation. An April 
3, 2009, letter from the Designated Federal Official on behalf of the 
Secretary of the Interior transmitted the authorization for the museum 
to effect disposition of the human remains of the one culturally 
unidentifiable individual to the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona 
contingent on the publication of a Notice of Inventory Completion in 
the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that requirement.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact John 
McClelland, NAGPRA Coordinator, Arizona State

[[Page 21385]]

Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, telephone (520) 626-
2950, before June 8, 2009. Disposition of the human remains to the 
Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The Arizona State Museum 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: April 22, 2009.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-10545 Filed 5-6-09; 8:45 am]
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