[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48779-48780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23102]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: The Colorado College, Colorado 
Springs, CO; Correction

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 under the control of The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, 
CO. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from 
Canyon de Chelly, Apache 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.
    This notice corrects the minimum number of individuals and 
associated funerary objects in a Notice of Inventory Completion 
previously published in the Federal Register (72 FR 19920, April 14, 
2004), and replaces it in its entirety with the following:
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by The Colorado 
College professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; Ohkay 
Owingeh, New Mexico (formerly the Pueblo of San Juan); Pueblo of Acoma, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San 
Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo 
Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and 
Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.
    In 1897-1898, human remains representing 11 individuals were 
removed from a cliff ruin in Chinlee Canon (a.k.a. Canyon de Chelly), 
Apache County, AZ, under the auspices of the C.B. Lang Expedition of 
1897-1898. Prior to 1900, General William Jackson Palmer acquired what 
became known as the Lang-Bixby Collection, which he subsequently 
transferred to The Colorado College. After the museum was disbanded, 
the human remains were transferred to the College's Anthropology 
Department. The associated funerary objects that were not in direct 
contact with the human remains were transferred to the Colorado Springs 
Fine Arts Center (CSFAC) (formerly the Taylor Museum). A permanent loan 
agreement with the CSFAC is dated 1986. The six associated funerary 
objects are a cotton robe or blanket, which may also include feathers, 
that encases the human remains of a naturally mummified infant; two 
fragments of cotton cloth believed to have been a part of the robe or 
blanket; a yucca basket; a piece of bark; and one lot of cotton fabric 
identified at the time of collection as resembling a lamp wick; all of 
the funerary objects are associated with the human remains of a 
naturally mummified infant.
    A physical anthropological assessment of the human remains resulted 
in a determination that the human remains are ancestral Puebloan based 
on the type of cranial deformation. This determination is supported by 
the funerary objects associated with one of the individuals, as well as 
the provenience.
    In 1897-1898, human remains representing two individuals were 
removed from Chinlee Canon (a.k.a. Canyon de Chelly), Apache County, 
AZ, under the auspices of the C.B. Lang Expedition of 1897-1898. Prior 
to 1900, General William Jackson Palmer acquired what became known as 
the Lang-Bixby Collection, which he subsequently transferred to The 
Colorado College. After the museum was disbanded, the human remains 
were transferred to the College's Anthropology Department. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Canyon de Chelly, which is also known as Chinlee Canon, was a site 
of ancestral Puebloan occupation. Currently, the site is within the 
Navajo Indian Reservation. The Colorado College has determined that the 
lands from which the human remains and associated funerary objects were 
collected were not Federal lands at the time of collection.
    A relationship of shared group identity can reasonably be traced 
between ancestral Puebloan and modern Puebloan peoples based on oral

[[Page 48780]]

tradition, folklore, and scientific studies. According to scientific 
studies and oral tradition the Navajo share some cultural practices 
with modern Puebloans. A preponderance of evidence supports cultural 
affiliation with modern Puebloan groups. There is not a preponderance 
of evidence to support Navajo cultural affiliation.
    Officials of The Colorado College have determined that, pursuant to 
25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent the 
physical remains of 13 individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of The Colorado College also have determined that, pursuant 
to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the six 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 Colorado College 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 the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Ohkay Owingeh, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, 
New Mexico.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Chris Melcher, Legal Counsel/Director of 
Business, The Colorado College c/o Jan Bernstein, President, Bernstein 
& Associates--NAGPRA Consultants, 1041 Lafayette St., Denver, CO 80218, 
telephone (303) 894-0648, [email protected], before October 26, 
2009. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The Colorado College is responsible for notifying the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; Ohkay Owingeh, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, 
New Mexico that this notice has been published.

    Dated: August 17, 2009.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-23102 Filed 9-23-09; 8:45 am]
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