[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 434-435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-31220]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Thomas Burke 
Memorial Washington State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

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. 3005, of the intent 
to repatriate cultural items in the possession of the Thomas Burke 
Memorial Washington State Museum (Burke Museum), University of 
Washington, Seattle, WA, that meet the definition of ``unassociated 
funerary objects'' under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural 
items. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.
    In 1965, human remains representing a minimum of one individual 
were removed from south of the International District in Seattle, King 
County, WA. The human remains were transferred from the King County 
Coroner's Office to the Burke Museum in 1965 (Burke Accn. 
1966-77). All human remains are now missing. No known 
individual was identified. The six unassociated funerary objects are 
one infant bracelet, two metal spoons, one brass button, one woman's 
shoe, and one glass ketchup bottle.
    Before 1955, unassociated funerary objects were found between 
Bellevue and Renton in King County, WA. The objects were found during 
road construction and collected by Mrs. Willa W. Mylroie. The objects 
were donated to the Burke Museum in 1955 (Burke Accn. 3979). 
No known human remains are associated with the objects. The 124 
unassociated funerary objects are 12 copper bracelets, 1 decorative 
brass clip, 4 glass beads, 15 brass buttons, 1 brass thimble, 1 can of 
vermillion, 89 trade beads, and 1 blanket fragment.
    In 1892, an unassociated funerary object was removed from Bryn 
Mawr, King County, WA. The funerary object was collected by Frank E. 
Fuller and donated to the Burke Museum by the Washington World's Fair 
Commission in 1893 (Burke Accn. 1119). No known human remains 
are associated with the object. The one unassociated funerary object is 
a metal knife with incised bone handle.
    The funerary objects were removed from the area surrounding Lake 
Washington primarily on the southern end. This area falls within the 
Southern Lushootseed language group of Salish cultures. The Duwamish 
people primarily occupied this area, specifically the Lake people 
(Swanton 1952:423). In the 1870s, as the City of Seattle developed, the 
Lake people were pushed out to other areas, including the Muckleshoot, 
Suquamish, and Tulalip reservations. The Lake people also joined the 
Snoqualmie people on Lake Sammamish and in the Snoqualmie River 
drainage (Miller and Blukis Onat 2004:109). Descendants of the Lake 
people are members of the present-day Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the 
Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington; 
Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, Washington; and 
Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, Washington.
    In 1923, unassociated funerary objects were found near Kirkland, 
King County, WA. The objects were found under the roots of a tree and 
sent by Mrs. Loyal C. Wright to Professor Meany of the University of 
Washington. Prof. Meany subsequently transferred the objects to the 
Burke Museum in 1923 (Burke Accn. 2022). No known human 
remains are associated with the objects. The six unassociated funerary 
objects are four glass beads, one copper bracelet, and one brass 
button.
    The above-mentioned funerary objects were removed from the 
northeastern shores of Lake Washington south of the mouth of the 
Sammamish River. This area falls within the Southern Lushootseed 
language group of Salish cultures. The Sammamish people primarily 
occupied this area (Ruby and Brown 1986, Suttles and Lane 1990, Swanton 
1952). The Sammamish people were closely related to the Duwamish people 
and other tribes in the area. As per the terms of the 1855 Point Elliot 
Treaty, the Sammamish were assigned to go to the Tulalip Reservation. 
Many Sammamish people chose not to relocate to the Tulalip Reservation. 
The Sammamish people are represented by the present-day Muckleshoot 
Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Snoqualmie 
Tribe, Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison 
Reservation, Washington; and Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, 
Washington.
    Officials of the Burke Museum have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the 137 cultural items 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the evidence, to have 
been removed from a specific burial site of an Native American 
individual. Officials of the Burke Museum 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 unassociated 
funerary objects and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot 
Reservation, Washington; Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington; Suquamish Indian 
Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation, Washington; and Tulalip Tribes 
of the Tulalip Reservation, Washington.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Dr. Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 
353010, Seattle, WA 98195-3010, telephone (206) 685-3849, before 
February 4, 2010. Repatriation of the unassociated funerary objects to 
the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot Reservation, 
Washington; Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the 
Port Madison Reservation, Washington; and Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip 
Reservation, Washington may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.
    The Burke Museum is responsible for notifying the Muckleshoot 
Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot Reservation, Washington; Snoqualmie 
Tribe, Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison 
Reservation, Washington; and Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, 
Washington that this notice has been published.


[[Page 435]]


    Dated: November 25, 2009
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-31220 Filed 1ndash;4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S