[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 20 (Monday, February 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5104-5105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2027]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Madison County Historical 
Society, Edwardsville, IL

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 possession of the 
Madison County Historical Society, Edwardsville, IL. The human remains 
were removed from the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Bighorn County, MT.
    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 Madison 
County Historical Society professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the staff of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National 
Monument. In addition, the Madison County Historical Society sent a 
letter with information on the human remains to the Arapahoe Tribe of 
the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Crow Tribe of Montana; Northern 
Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; 
Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; and 
Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota. 
The Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian 
Reservation, Montana responded that they are not culturally affiliated 
with the human remains described in this notice.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing a minimum of one 
individual were probably removed from Little Bighorn Battlefield, near 
present-day Crow Agency, Big Horn County, MT. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1929, the Madison County Historical Society purchased the John 
R. Sutter Collection and an inventory of that collection was conducted 
at that time. In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) 
conducted a comprehensive inventory of all of the museum's holdings. In 
1995, the museum did a NAGPRA inventory. In November 2008, the museum 
staff reviewed the original NAGPRA inventory and other available 
records. They determined that during the NAGPRA inventory, a scalp had 
been incorrectly attributed to a 1988 donation. Upon comparison to the 
1938 WPA inventory records, the museum reasonably believes this scalp 
was purchased as part of the John R. Sutter Collection in 1929. The 
Madison County Historical Society has no information on how John Sutter 
originally acquired the human remains.
    The 1929 Sutter Purchase Inventory lists the human remains as 
``Part of an Indian scalp.'' Next to the entry is a note that reads 
``Custer Massacre.'' Based on this information, the officials of the 
Madison County Historical Society reasonably believe the human remains 
are Native American and were removed from the Little Bighorn 
Battlefield at an unknown date, but possibly in 1876.
    Five tribes were at the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn - the 
Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, and Arikara. Descendants of these 
tribes are members of the Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming; Crow Tribe of Montana; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern 
Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine 
Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; and Three Affiliated Tribes of the 
Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota. Since the officials of the 
Madison County Historical Society cannot determine the specific tribe 
to which the Native American human remains are culturally affiliated, 
the museum believes that a possible cultural affiliation could exist 
for any of the five aforementioned tribes. However, during 
consultation, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne 
Indian Reservation, Montana responded that no scalps were taken from 
the Cheyenne in the battle, and consequently there is no cultural 
affiliation to the Cheyenne. Therefore, absent other information, the 
museum officials have narrowed the possible affiliation to the Arapahoe 
Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Crow Tribe of Montana; 
Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; and/or 
Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota.
    Officials of the Madison County Historical Society 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 Madison County Historical Society 
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 Arapahoe Tribe of the 
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Crow Tribe of Montana; Oglala Sioux 
Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; and/or Three 
Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Suzanne 
Dietrich, Director, or the president, Madison County Historical 
Society, 715 North Main St., Edwardsville, IL 62025, telephone (618) 
656-7562, before March

[[Page 5105]]

3, 2010. Repatriation of the human remains to the Arapahoe Tribe of the 
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Crow Tribe of Montana; Oglala Sioux 
Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; and/or Three 
Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Madison County Historical Society is responsible for notifying 
the Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Crow Tribe 
of Montana; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian 
Reservation, Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation, 
South Dakota; and Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation, North Dakota that this notice has been published.

    Dated: December 22, 2009
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2010-2027 Filed 1-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S