[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48289-48290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22779]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

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 Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY. The 
human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from the 
Strato's Grove site, Onondaga County, NY.
    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 Syracuse 
University professional staff in consultation with representatives of 
the Onondaga Nation of New York.

[[Page 48290]]

    In 1967, human remains representing a minimum of two individuals 
were removed from Strato's Grove site (also known as Strato's Grave 
site), Onondaga County, NY, during excavations by James Tuck. Tuck 
published results from the excavation in his book, Onondaga Iroquois 
Prehistory (Tuck 1971). The 19 associated funerary objects are 1 lot of 
bird bone tube beads; 1 lot of copper fragments, shell, and wood; 1 gun 
flint; 1 spent lead shot; 1 lot of charcoal; 1 copper pan; 2 copper 
hawks bells; 1 lot of wood; 1 lot of copper; 1 lot of wooden ``cradle 
board fragments''; 1 animal bone bead; 1 iron cutlery knife; 1 string 
with copper; 1 lot of raspberry seeds; 1 iron; 1 nail; 1 lot of 
``kettle contents''; and 1 lot of iron and copper fragments (surface 
finds).
    In 2002, an examination of the collections found two finger bones 
in a bag labeled ``metal ring.'' The human remains were determined to 
be from a historic period Onondaga burial site. These human remains 
represent small fragments and do not correspond with the specific 
burials discussed in James Tuck's book (1971:190). The human remains 
and associated funerary objects are determined to be affiliated with 
the present-day descendants of the Onondaga represented by the Onondaga 
Nation of New York.
    Officials of Syracuse University have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent the 
physical remains of two individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of Syracuse University also have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), the 19 objects and lots of 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 Syracuse University 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 Onondaga 
Nation of New York.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Douglas 
Armstrong, Archaeological Collections Facility, Anthropology 
Department, 209 Maxwell Hall, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, 
telephone (315) 443-2405, before October 22, 2009. Repatriation of the 
human remains to the Onondaga Nation of New York may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Syracuse University is responsible for notifying the Onondaga 
Nation of New York that this notice has been published.

    Dated: September 8, 2009
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-22779 Filed 9-21-09; 8:45 am]
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