[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52506-52507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24558]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Natural History and 
Planetarium, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI

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 Museum of Natural 
History and Planetarium, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI. The human 
remains were removed from Puget Sound, WA.
    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 Museum of 
Natural History and Planetarium, Roger Williams Park professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of 
the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of the 
Nisqually Reservation, Washington; Port Gamble Indian Tribe of the Port 
Gamble Reservation, Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington; Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington; 
Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington; 
Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington; 
Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port 
Madison Reservation, Washington; Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish 
Reservation, Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, 
Washington; and Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington. A claim for 
the human remains described in this notice has been received by the 
Museum of Natural History and Planetarium from the Puyallup Tribe of 
the Puyallup Reservation, Washington. In July 2008, a letter was sent 
notifying the above-mentioned tribes of the claim by the Puyallup Tribe 
of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington, and statements of support or 
non-support were also solicited.
    In 1913 or earlier, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from the Puget Sound region, WA. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    A letter dated December 30, 1913, from the museum's curator 
acknowledges receipt of the human remains from the ``Puget Sound 
region'' as a loan from Sydney R. Turner of East Providence, RI 
(Accn. RIR035; Cat.  E 4166). The letter also 
acknowledges receipt of ``beads and other small articles found in the 
grave with it.'' However, these objects were not located in the museum 
collections during the inventory. Therefore, no associated funerary 
objects are currently present with these human remains. There is no 
information regarding how the human remains (and the articles that once 
accompanied them) came into Mr. Turner's possession.
    In the 1913 letter the curator remarks to Mr. Turner, ``It is 
understood that you have loaned these specimens to the museum and we 
shall keep them safely until you may order their removal.'' This 
statement must stand as the sole justification for why the Puget Sound 
remains were retained in the collection. It would appear that Mr. 
Turner failed to recall them. In 2008, museum staff reviewed 1913 city 
directories for East Providence, RI. It was learned that Mr. Sydney R. 
Turner owned and operated a grocery store with his brother Frederick 
until 1915-16. After that time, he initiated a career as a traveling 
salesman until his death in 1932, which may explain his failure to 
retrieve the remains. The museum tried to contact any possible heirs of 
Mr. Turner, but was unsuccessful.
    No specific information is available about the collection of the 
human remains. The human remains were found to be consistent with 
Native American morphology by a physical anthropologist (1983 Self 
Study funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities). Due to the 
generalized ``Puget Sound region'' provenience, the human remains were 
originally reported by the Museum of Natural History as being 
culturally unidentifiable under NAGPRA, although the 1983 study 
suggested a possible Nootka (Nuu-chah-nulth) affiliation for the human 
remains. During consultation with the Puyallup Tribe, the museum was 
notified that tribes inhabiting the Puget Sound area are culturally 
identifiable as Salish and not Nootka, as the Nootka are further north. 
The human remains show skull flattening in the manner consistent with 
the cultural history of Puyallup and other Salish tribes. Therefore, 
officials of the Museum of Natural History hereby determine the human 
remains to be those of a Salish Indian. Descendants of the Salish of 
the Puget Sound region are members of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of 
the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of the 
Nisqually Reservation, Washington; Port Gamble Indian Tribe of the Port 
Gamble Reservation, Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington; Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington; 
Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington; 
Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington; 
Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port 
Madison Reservation, Washington; Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish 
Reservation, Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip

[[Page 52507]]

Reservation, Washington; and Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington.
    In consultation with the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington, the museum has learned that there were many 
Puyallup villages along Puget Sound prior to treaty times. 
Additionally, the territory of the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington (within Pierce County) extends to the Islands 
and waterways of Puget Sound, up to present day Steilacoom, out to 
present day Gig Harbor, embracing the cities of Tacoma, Fife, Milton, 
Puyallup, Edgewood, Sumner, and up to the top of Mount Rainier (and 
King County.) The Puyallup also occupied seasonal encampments in the 
Puget Sound area.
    Based on lack of information about the removal from Puget Sound, 
Mr. Turner's and his heirs' failure to remove the human remains from 
the museum, and the fact that the Museum of Natural History has had 
stewardship of them since 1913, the museum considers the human remains 
abandoned and has decided to proceed as the responsible entity under 
NAGPRA.
    Officials of the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Roger 
Williams Park 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 Museum of 
Natural History and Planetarium, Roger Williams Park also 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 Muckleshoot Indian 
Tribe of the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian 
Tribe of the Nisqually Reservation, Washington; Port Gamble Indian 
Tribe of the Port Gamble Reservation, Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the 
Puyallup Reservation, Washington; Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of 
Washington; Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, 
Washington; Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, 
Washington; Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe 
of the Port Madison Reservation, Washington; Swinomish Indians of the 
Swinomish Reservation, Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip 
Reservation, Washington; and Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Marilyn 
Massaro, Curator of Collections, Museum of Natural History and 
Planetarium, Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI 02907, telephone 
(401)785-9457, ext. 248, before November 12, 2009. Repatriation of the 
human remains to the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot 
Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually 
Reservation, Washington; Port Gamble Indian Tribe of the Port Gamble 
Reservation, Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, 
Washington; Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington; Skokomish Indian 
Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington; Squaxin Island Tribe of 
the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington; Stillaguamish Tribe of 
Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, 
Washington; Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, Washington; 
Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, Washington; and Upper Skagit 
Indian Tribe of Washington may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Roger Williams Park 
is responsible for notifying the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the 
Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of the 
Nisqually Reservation, Washington; Port Gamble Indian Tribe of the Port 
Gamble Reservation, Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington; Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington; 
Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington; 
Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington; 
Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port 
Madison Reservation, Washington; Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish 
Reservation, Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, 
Washington; and Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: September 21, 2009
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-24558 Filed 10-9-09; 8:45 am]
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