[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 137 (Monday, July 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41884-41885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17481]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Georgia Department of 
Transportation, Atlanta, GA; University of West Georgia, Carrollton, 
GA; and University of Georgia, Athens, GA

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 associated funerary 
objects in the control of the Georgia Department of Transportation, 
Atlanta, GA, and in the possession of the University of West Georgia, 
Carrollton, GA, and the University of Georgia, Athens, GA. The human 
remains were removed from Richmond County, GA.
    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 objects. The National 
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Georgia 
Department of Transportation professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; 
Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, 
Oklahoma; Catawba Indian Nation (aka Catawba Tribe of South Carolina); 
Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe 
of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina; 
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Kialegee Tribal Town, Oklahoma; 
Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Mississippi Band of Choctaw 
Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma; Poarch Band of 
Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe 
of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa 
Reservations); Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, 
Oklahoma; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in 
Oklahoma.
    From November 1980 to January 1981, and during the summer of 1991, 
the Lover's Lane Site (9RI86), near the Savannah River, Richmond 
County, GA,

[[Page 41885]]

was excavated under Georgia Department of Transportation contracts, RR-
0001(001) and F-117-1(11), as part of the construction of the Bobby 
Jones Expressway in Augusta, GA. The earlier excavations recovered 
associated funerary objects from two possible cremations, although the 
human remains were not removed and are not found in the collection. 
These funerary objects are in the possession of the University of 
Georgia. In 1991, human remains representing a minimum of two 
individuals and associated funerary objects were removed, and are in 
possession of the University of West Georgia. No known individuals were 
identified. The 30 associated funerary objects are 4 quartz debitage, 
13 chert debitage, 3 metavolcanic debitage, 8 fiber/sand/grit tempered 
sherds, 1 chert projectile point, and 1 raw material.
    The human remains from the Lover's Lane Site (9RI86) are believed 
to be associated with the Late Archaic based on the analysis of the 
associated funerary objects. The associated funerary objects include 
recognized Late Archaic ceramics and projectile points. In addition, 
cremations are a recognized Archaic burial practice in the Tennessee 
River Valley, but otherwise unknown in the Southeast. In the Northeast, 
however, Late Archaic cremations are slightly more common and date to 
roughly 4200-2985 B.P. or 2250-1035 B.C. Given this evidence, the human 
remains are likely prehistoric Native American.
    Officials of the Georgia Department of Transportation have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of two individuals of 
Native American ancestry. Officials of the Georgia Department of 
Transportation also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 
3001(3)(A), the 30 associated funerary 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 Georgia Department of Transportation 
have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of 
shared group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native 
American human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-
day Indian tribe.
    The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 
Committee (Review Committee) is responsible for recommending specific 
actions for disposition of culturally unidentifiable human remains. In 
July 2009, the Georgia Department of Transportation requested that the 
Review Committee recommend the disposition of the culturally 
unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, 
as the human remains were found within the tribe's aboriginal and 
historical territory. The Review Committee considered the proposal at 
its October 30-31, 2009, meeting and recommended disposition of the 
culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in 
Oklahoma.
    The Secretary of the Interior agreed with the Review Committee's 
recommendation. A March 4, 2010, letter from the Designated Federal 
Official, writing on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, 
transmitted the authorization for the Georgia Department of 
Transportation to effect disposition of the physical remains of the 
culturally unidentifiable human remains to the United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma contingent on the publication of a Notice 
of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills 
that requirement. In the same letter, the Secretary recommended the 
transfer of the associated funerary objects to the Indian tribe listed 
above to the extent allowed by Federal, state, or local law.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Eric Anthony Duff, Cultural Resources Section 
Chief, Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental 
Services-16th Floor, One Georgia Center, 600 West Peachtree St. NW, 
Atlanta, GA 30308, telephone (404) 631-1071, before August 18, 2010. 
Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma may proceed after 
that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Georgia Department of Transportation is responsible for 
notifying the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-
Coushatta Tribes of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; 
Catawba Indian Nation; Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, 
Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Indians of North Carolina; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Kialegee 
Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; 
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) 
Nation, Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole 
Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, 
Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa Reservations); Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma; 
Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Oklahoma; and the United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: July 9, 2010
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2010-17481 Filed 7-16-10; 8:45 am]
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