[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36149-36150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15437]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Western Michigan University, 
Department of Anthropology, Kalamazoo, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology, has 
completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has 
determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human 
remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian 
tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects may contact the Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology. Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional 
requestors come forward.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes it has a 
cultural affiliation with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact the Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology, at the address below by July 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES: LouAnn Wurst, Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan 
University, 1005 Moore Hall, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, telephone (269) 387-
2753.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 possession of the Western Michigan 
University, Department of Anthropology, Kalamazoo, MI. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Middlebury 
Township, Shiawassee County, MI.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). 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.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Western 
Michigan University, Department of Anthropology, professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of 
Odawa Indians, Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi 
Indians of Michigan; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and 
Indiana; and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1974, human remains representing a minimum of 19 individuals 
were removed from the Gilde site, Middlebury Township, Shiawassee 
County, MI. The Michigan History Division, now the Michigan Historical 
Center, investigated the burials and conducted salvage excavations. The 
individuals are represented by 2,000 fragmentary remains. The ages of 
the individuals range from infants to adults, however, a determination 
of the sex of the individuals was not possible due to the fragmentary 
nature of the remains. The burial was inadvertently uncovered in 1974 
by construction crews of the Central Michigan Sand and Gravel Company 
during gravel mining. The investigators noted that the heavily 
disturbed burials consisted of several deep pits covered with red 
ochre, which indicates that the site dates to the Late Archaic period 
(3000 B.C. to 1000 B.C.) since the use of red ochre in burials is a 
hallmark of this period in the Great Lakes. After recovery, the remains 
and funerary objects were transferred to Western Michigan University's 
anthropology department for further curation and study by Dr. Robert 
Sundick. No known individuals were identified. The 92 associated 
funerary objects are 79 fragments of bone from two Blue Racer snakes 
(Columber constrictor foxi), 12 fragments representing white-tailed 
deer and unidentified small and medium mammals, and 1 lot of soil 
samples recovered from the excavations.

Determinations Made by Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology

    Officials of Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology, have determined that:
     Based on skeletal and dental morphology, and the Late 
Archaic date of the site, the human remains and

[[Page 36150]]

associated funerary objects are Native American.
     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.
     Multiple lines of evidence, such as the Treaty of Saginaw 
1819 (also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa of 1819), continued 
occupation of the area, and oral tradition, indicate that the land from 
which the Native American human remains and associated funerary objects 
were removed is the aboriginal land of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian 
Tribe of Michigan.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 19 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 92 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.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains is to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects or any other Indian tribe that believes it satisfies the 
criteria in 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1) should contact LouAnn Wurst, Department 
of Anthropology, Western Michigan University, 1005 Moore Hall, 
Kalamazoo, MI 49008, telephone (269) 387-2753, before July 21, 2011. 
Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan may proceed after that date 
if no additional requestors come forward.
    Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology, is 
responsible for notifying the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 
Indians, Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians 
of Michigan; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; 
and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: June 15, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-15437 Filed 6-20-11; 8:45 am]
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