[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 136 (Friday, July 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34775-34776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17054]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Tumacacori National Historical Park, Tumacacori, 
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 and associated funerary 
objects in the possession of the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Tumacacori National Historical Park, Tumacacori, 
AZ. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from 
Tumacacori Mission in Santa Cruz 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 within this notice are the sole responsibility of 
the superintendent, Tumacacori National Historical Park.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects was made by Tumacacori National Historical Park and Western 
Archeological and Conservation Center 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; Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New 
Mexico; Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 
Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; San Carlos Apache 
Tribe of San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of 
Arizona; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. The Ak 
Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, 
Arizona did not attend the consultation meetings but was represented by 
the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, 
Arizona. The Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache 
Nation, New Mexico; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; and the White 
Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona were 
contacted but did not participate in the consultation meetings.
    In 1965, human remains representing a minimum of 20 individuals 
were removed from Tumacacori Mission in Santa Cruz County, AZ. No known 
individuals were identified. The 32 associated funerary objects are 1 
stone ball/hammerstone, 1 unifacial flaked stone tool (knife), 23 beads 
and 1 box of beads, 1 box of textile fragments, 1 crucifix, 2 metal 
fragments, 1 majolica sherd, and 1 soil sample.
    The historic period burials are Christianized Indian interments in 
and around a church used during the Jesuit and Franciscan Periods. The 
church from which the burials were removed was built between A.D. 1753 
and A.D. 1757, but the burials could have taken place anywhere from 
A.D. 1753 to A.D. 1824. The Jesuit Period ended in 1767, but a new 
Franciscan church was not built until 1822. After 1822, burials were in 
the Franciscan cemetery and church. However, individuals could have 
been buried in the Jesuit church after the Franciscan church was built. 
One of the burials included in this inventory was removed 6 inches 
above the Jesuit church floor. The latest possible date for these 
burials is 1848, when the last residing Native Americans departed for 
San Xavier del Bac north of Tumacacori.
    The human remains listed above have been identified as Native 
American and determined to be culturally affiliated with the tribes 
listed below based on analyses by a physical anthropologist, an 
analysis of regional and archeological contexts, and information from 
Spanish burial records in mission registers. During the Mission Period 
individuals were buried under church floors if they were in good 
standing with the Catholic Church, or by relatives after the priests 
left. Church burial records show that there were very few Anglo or 
Spanish priest burials at Tumacacori, and most individuals were 
identified as O'odham.
    Oral history, tradition, archeological evidence, and written 
Spanish documents show that, historically, the Native American groups 
at Tumacacori included all present day O'odham tribes, nations, and 
communities. The Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) 
Reservation, Arizona consists primarily of Akimel and Tohono O'odham, 
with a few families of Hia-Ced O'odham. The Gila River Indian Community 
of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona and the Salt River Pima-
Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River

[[Page 34776]]

Reservation are both composed primarily of Akimel O'odham along with 
small populations of Maricopas who moved from the central portion of 
the Gila River, around Gila Bend, to join Akimel O'odham populations 
living along the Salt and Gila Rivers in the 1800s.
    Historical Spanish records of baptisms, weddings, and burials 
indicate that Yaqui and Apache families and individuals were also 
present at the mission and were buried in church cemeteries and under 
church floors. Apache groups are known to have occupied the area 
historically, and Apache baptisms, marriages, and burials were recorded 
by Spanish priests, especially in the 1800s. The Spanish burial records 
suggest that the most common Indian burials were that of O'odham, with 
smaller numbers of Apache and Yaqui.
    Officials of Tumacacori National Historical Park 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 Tumacacori National Historical Park 
also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 32 
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 Tumacacori 
National Historical Park 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; Fort Sill Apache Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero 
Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Pascua Yaqui 
Tribe of Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt 
River Reservation, Arizona; San Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos 
Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; Tonto Apache 
Tribe of Arizona; and White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache 
Reservation, Arizona.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Lisa Carrico, superintendent, Tumacacori 
National Historical Park, P.O. Box 8067, Tumacacori, AZ 85640, 
telephone (520) 398-2341 Ext. 52, before August 17, 2009. Repatriation 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Ak Chin 
Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; 
Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Gila River Indian Community of the 
Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New 
Mexico; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New 
Mexico; Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 
Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; San Carlos Apache 
Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of 
Arizona; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; and White Mountain Apache Tribe 
of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona may proceed after that date if 
no additional claimants come forward.
    Tumacacori National Historical Park is responsible for notifying 
the Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Gila River 
Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero Apache 
Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Pascua Yaqui Tribe of 
Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River 
Reservation, Arizona; San Carlos Apache Tribe of San Carlos 
Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; Tonto Apache 
Tribe of Arizona; White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache 
Reservation, Arizona; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 
Mexico that this notice has been published.

    Dated: June 23, 2009
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-17054 Filed 7-16-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S