[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23804-23805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10383]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Alaska State Office, Bureau of 
Land Management, Anchorage, AK; Museum of the Aleutians, Unalaska, AK; 
and University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; Correction

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; correction.

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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 in the control of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau 
of Land Management, Alaska State Office, Anchorage, AK, and in the 
possession of the Museum of the Aleutians, Unalaska, AK, and the 
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. The human remains were removed 
from Umnak Island, AK.
    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

[[Page 23805]]

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 a Notice of Inventory Completion published in 
the Federal Register (73 FR 47224, August 13, 2008) with the addition 
of another individual and associated funerary objects, a repository 
that has possession of the additional set of Native American human 
remains and funerary objects, and also amends the determination of 
shared group relationships. Since publication of the notice, additional 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects removed 
by Dr. William Laughlin from the Chaluka site at the Native Village of 
Nikolski were found to be in the possession of the University of 
Wisconsin Curation Facility collections.
    The notice published in the Federal Register (73 FR 47224, August 
13, 2008) is corrected by substituting paragraphs 3-10 with the 
following:
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Alaska 
State Office, Bureau of Land Management; Museum of the Aleutians; 
University of Wisconsin; and the Smithsonian Institution professional 
staff in consultation with representatives of the Native Village of 
Nikolski and Chaluka Corporation.
    Between 1950 and the 1980s, human remains representing a minimum of 
213 individuals were removed from various sites in the southwestern 
part of Umnak Island, located in the Fox Island group of the eastern 
Aleutian Islands, AK. These sites included the Chaluka site at the 
Native Village of Nikolski, Ogalodox site, Sandy Beach site, and other 
nearby smaller sites. The exact provenience for each individual cannot 
be determined. All of the human remains were probably removed at the 
direction of the late Dr. William Laughlin from Umnak Island as they 
were later found to be among his collections. No known individuals were 
identified. The 276 associated funerary objects include coffin pieces, 
cultural materials, fragmentary faunal remains, pebbles, rocks, fabric, 
buttons, and a snap/button.
    According to museum records, the 213 sets of human remains were 
probably first sent to the University of Wisconsin, where one set is 
presently located. The other 212 sets of human remains were removed by 
Dr. William Laughlin to the University of Connecticut at an unknown 
date. From there, the 212 sets of human remains were shipped by Dr. 
Laughlin to the Museum of the Aleutians in 1998, where they are 
presently located. The 276 associated funerary objects are all 
associated with the one set of human remains at the University of 
Wisconsin, and most are in a mixed and fragmentary state.
    During 1961-62, human remains representing a minimum of nine 
individuals were removed from the Chaluka site at the Native Village of 
Nikolski, on Umnak Island in the Fox Island group of the eastern 
Aleutian Islands, AK. These remains were also all probably removed at 
the direction of the late Dr. William Laughlin from Umnak Island as 
they were later found to be among his collections after his death. No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    The remains of the nine individuals were shipped to the University 
of Wisconsin for study by Dr. William Laughlin, and remained there 
after his death. In 2006, the Bureau of Land Management sent the 
remains to the Smithsonian Institution to be inventoried, where they 
are presently located.
    Umnak Island has been inhabited for over 8,000 years by Aleut 
(Unangan) people. Based on geographical location, oral history, and 
archeological evidence, the human remains from this island are of Aleut 
(Unangan) origin. The Aleut (Unangan) are ancestors of inhabitants of 
the Native Village of Nikolski and Chaluka Corporation, the current and 
only Indian tribe and Corporation on Umnak Island, AK.
    Officials of the Bureau of Land Management have determined that, 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9)-(10), the human remains described above 
represent the physical remains of a minimum of 222 individuals of 
Native American ancestry. Officials of the Bureau of Land Management 
have also determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 276 
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 Bureau of 
Land Management 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 objects and the Native Village of Nikolski and Chaluka 
Corporation located on Umnak Island, AK.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Dr. Robert E. King, Alaska State NAGPRA 
Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, 222 W. 7th Avenue, 13, 
Anchorage, AK 99513-7599, telephone (907) 271-5510, before June 3, 
2010. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
to the Native Village of Nikolski and Chaluka Corporation may proceed 
after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for notifying the 
Native Village of Nikolski and the Chaluka Corporation that this notice 
has been published.

    Dated: April 14, 2010.
David Tarler,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2010-10383 Filed 5-3-10; 8:45 am]
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