[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14054-14055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5874]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management, White River Field Office, Meeker, CO and 
Colorado State University, Laboratory of Public Archaeology, Fort 
Collins, CO

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 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau 
of Land Management, White River Field Office, Meeker, CO, and in the 
possession of the Colorado State University, Laboratory of Public 
Archaeology, Fort Collins, CO. The human remains were removed from the 
Canyon Pintado National Historic District, Rio Blanco County, CO.
    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 Bureau 
of Land Management, White River Field Office, and Colorado State 
University professional staff, in consultation with representatives of 
the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa 
Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; 
Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico; Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho; Shoshone Tribe of 
the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the 
Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North 
& South Dakota; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, 
Utah; and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, 
New Mexico & Utah (hereinafter referred to as ``The Tribes'').
    In 1977, human remains representing a minimum number of one 
individual were removed from site 5RB699, in Rio Blanco County, CO, on 
public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, White River 
Field Office. The remains are represented by a single human tooth that 
was recovered from an excavation trench during excavations conducted by 
the Colorado State University, Laboratory of Public Archaeology. No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 1977, human remains representing a minimum number of one 
individual were removed from site 5RB761, in Rio Blanco County, CO, on 
public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, White River 
Field Office. The remains are represented by a partial skeleton and 
associated hide and cordage that were recovered from a rock crevice 
burial during excavations conducted by the Colorado State University, 
Laboratory of Public Archaeology. No known individual was identified. 
The two associated funerary objects are a hide and cordage.
    In 2009, Colorado State University, Laboratory of Public 
Archaeology, located the two sets of remains in their holdings and 
informed the Bureau of Land Management. Subsequently, the Bureau of 
Land Management moved the human remains and associated funerary objects 
from the Colorado State University, Laboratory of Public Archaeology 
facility to more secure storage at the Bureau of Land Management's 
Federal collections depository at the Museum of Western Colorado 
pending repatriation.
    The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the preponderance 
of evidence shows that the human remains are Native American and have 
Ute cultural affiliation. Visual inspection by Colorado State 
University, Laboratory of Public Archaeology, of the skeletal 
morphology of the burial individual from site 5RB761 demonstrated tooth 
wear likely associated with Native Americans. Rock crevice burials are 
strongly associated with Native American practices, in particular with 
Ute tribes. Also, the burial was located directly underneath a rock art 
panel that is consistent with the Early Ute Historic Style of rock art 
found in the region. Site 5RB699 dated Fremont and Ute occupations. 
Finally, both site 5RB761 and site 5RB699 are located within lands that 
were traditionally occupied by the Ute band that is now represented by 
the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah.
    Officials of the Bureau of Land Management, White River Field 
Office,

[[Page 14055]]

and Colorado State University, Laboratory of Public Archaeology, have 
determined, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), that the human remains 
described above represent the physical remains of two individuals of 
Native American ancestry. Officials of the Bureau of Land Management, 
White River Field Office, and the Colorado State University, Laboratory 
of Public Archaeology, have also determined, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 
3001(3)(A), that the two objects described above are reasonably 
believed to have been placed with or near individual human remains at 
the time of death. Lastly, officials of the Bureau of Land Management, 
White River Field Office, and Colorado State University, Laboratory of 
Public Archaeology, have determined pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), that 
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 Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 
Reservation, Utah.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Dan Haas, State Archaeologist, Bureau of Land 
Management, Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield St., Lakewood, CO 
80215-7076, telephone (303) 239-3647 before April 14, 2011. 
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to 
the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah, may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for notifying The 
Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 9, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-5874 Filed 3-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P