[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65142-65144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29300]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Southwest Museum of the American 
Indian at the Autry National Center of the American West, Los Angeles, 
CA

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 an associated funerary 
object in the possession of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian 
at the Autry National Center of the American West, Los Angeles, CA. The 
human remains and associated funerary object were removed from either 
Inyo or Tulare County, CA.
    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 object. The National 
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian at the Autry National Center of 
the American West professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation 
and Colony, Nevada, which is representing the Great Basin Inter-Tribal 
NAGPRA Coalition, a non-Federally recognized Indian coalition, 
consisting of the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, a non-Federally 
recognized Indian group, and the following Federally-recognized Indian 
tribes: Battle Mountain Shoshone Tribe (Constituent band of the Te-Moak 
Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada); Bridgeport Paiute Indian 
Colony of California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater 
Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Las Vegas Tribe of 
Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute 
Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute 
Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone 
Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; 
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; 
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck 
Valley Reservation, Nevada; South Fork Band (Constituent band of the 
Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada); Susanville Indian 
Rancheria, California; Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of 
Nevada; Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California; and Yomba Shoshone Tribe 
of the Yomba Reservation, Nevada. Additional tribes consulted were the 
Alturas Indian Rancheria, California; Big Pine Band of Owens Valley 
Paiute Shoshone; Burns Paiute Tribe; Cedarville Rancheria, California; 
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation, California; 
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and Utah; Death 
Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California; Elko Band (Constituent 
band of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada); Fort 
Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of California; 
Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort 
Independence Reservation, California; Fort McDermitt Paiute and 
Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and 
Oregon; Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, 
Arizona; Northwestern Band of the Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie); 
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (Cedar Band of Paiutes, Kanosh Band of 
Paiutes, Koosharem Band of Paiutes, and Shivwits Band of Paiutes); 
Paiute-

[[Page 65143]]

Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the Lone Pine 
Reservation, California; Pit River Tribe, California; Pyramid Lake 
Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; San Juan Southern 
Paiute Tribe of Arizona; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall 
Reservation of Idaho; Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah; 
Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; 
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the 
Benton Paiute Reservation, California; Walker River Paiute Tribe of the 
Walker River Reservation, Nevada; and Yerington Paiute Tribe of the 
Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada.
    In an unknown year, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were removed from a cave at R.M. Fuller's ranch in Round 
Valley, in either Inyo or Tulare County, CA. R.M. Fuller did not remove 
the human remains until the grave was vandalized. On June 28, 1952, 
R.M. Fuller donated the human remains and associated funerary object to 
the museum. No known individual was identified. The one associated 
funerary object is a stone point fragment.
    Museum records are inconclusive concerning the county from which 
the human remains and point fragment originated. Museum records 
indicate R.M. Fuller's ranch was located ``west of the crest of the 
Sierras across from Little Lake and probably in Tulare (rather than 
Inyo) County.'' Based on museum records and consultation, museum 
officials locate the cave near the intersection of Inyo and Tulare 
Counties, across from Little Lake. Therefore, the human remains and 
associated funerary object are from the very lower portion of Owens 
Valley.
    Consultation with local museums and Federal agencies confirms the 
existence of cave burials in the Little Lake area. A cave burial and 
the associated funerary object demonstrates that, more likely than not, 
the human remains are Native American. The Paiute and Shoshone have 
occupied the lower portion of Owens Valley both prehistorically and 
historically. Literature and consultation evidence with tribal 
representatives from the Great Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition 
indicate that the Paiutes and Shoshone have been known to use caves for 
burial practices. Ethnography, geography, and consultation with the 
Great Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, local Federal agencies and 
museums, supports cultural affiliation of the human remains as Paiute 
and/or Shoshone.
    Officials of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian at the 
Autry National Center of the American West 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 Southwest Museum of the American Indian at 
the Autry National Center of the American West also have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the one object described above 
is 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 Southwest Museum of the American 
Indian at the Autry National Center of the American West 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 
object and the Battle Mountain Shoshone Tribe; Bridgeport Paiute Indian 
Colony of California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater 
Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Las Vegas Tribe of 
Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute 
Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute 
Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone 
Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; 
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; 
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck 
Valley Reservation, Nevada; South Fork Band; Susanville Indian 
Rancheria, California; Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of 
Nevada; Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California; and Yomba Shoshone Tribe 
of the Yomba Reservation, Nevada, which are part of the Great Basin 
Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, a non-Federally recognized Indian 
coalition. Additional culturally affiliated tribes are the Big Pine 
Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone; Burns Paiute Tribe; Chemehuevi 
Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation, California; Confederated 
Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and Utah; Death Valley Timbi-
Sha Shoshone Band of California; Elko Band; Fort Bidwell Indian 
Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of California; Fort 
Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort 
Independence Reservation, California; Fort McDermitt Paiute and 
Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and 
Oregon; Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, 
Arizona; Northwestern Band of the Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie); 
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine 
Community of the Lone Pine Reservation, California; Pyramid Lake Paiute 
Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; San Juan Southern Paiute 
Tribe of Arizona; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation 
of Idaho; Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah; Summit Lake 
Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton 
Paiute Reservation, California; Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker 
River Reservation, Nevada; and Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington 
Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
object should contact LaLe[ntilde]a Lewark, Senior NAGPRA Coordinator, 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian at the Autry National Center of 
the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027, 
telephone (323) 667-2000, ext. 220, or Steven M. Karr, Ph.D., Ahmanson 
Curator of History and Culture and Interim Executive Director for the 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian at the Autry National Center of 
the American West, 234 Museum Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90065, telephone 
(323) 221-2164, ext. 234, before January 8, 2010. Repatriation of the 
human remains and associated funerary object to the Paiute-Shoshone 
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada, representing the 
Great Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, a non-Federally recognized 
Indian coalition, and its members, may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The Southwest Museum of the American Indian at the Autry National 
Center of the American West is responsible for notifying the Alturas 
Indian Rancheria, California; Battle Mountain Shoshone Tribe; Big Pine 
Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone; Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony 
of California; Burns Paiute Tribe; Cedarville Rancheria, California; 
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation, California; 
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and Utah; Death 
Valley Timbi-Sha Shoshone Band of California; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe 
of the Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Elko Band; Ely Shoshone Tribe of 
Nevada; Fort Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort Bidwell

[[Page 65144]]

Reservation of California; Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute 
Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation, California; Fort 
McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian 
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the 
Kaibab Indian Reservation, Arizona; Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians 
of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the 
Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the 
Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Northwestern Band of the 
Shoshoni Nation of Utah (Washakie); Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the 
Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California; Paiute-Shoshone 
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone 
Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the Lone Pine Reservation, 
California; Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; Paiute Tribes of the Duck 
Valley Reservation, Nevada; Pit River Tribe, California; Pyramid Lake 
Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; Reno-Sparks 
Indian Colony, Nevada; San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona; 
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho; Skull 
Valley Band of Goshute Indians of Utah; South Fork Band; Southern Ute 
Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Summit Lake 
Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Susanville Indian Rancheria, California; Te-
Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada; Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute 
Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation, California; Walker River Paiute 
Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada; Washoe Tribe of Nevada 
and California; Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & 
Campbell Ranch, Nevada; Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation, 
Nevada; the Great Basin Inter-Tribal NAGPRA Coalition, a non-Federally 
recognized Indian coalition, and the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, a 
non-Federally recognized Indian group, that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: November 13, 2009.
David Tarler,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-29300 Filed 12-8-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S