[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 140 (Thursday, July 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43710-43712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18344]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Slater Museum of Natural History, 
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget 
Sound has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with 
the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no 
cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day 
Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself 
to be culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the 
Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound. 
Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated below may 
occur if no additional requestors come forward.

[[Page 43711]]


DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes it has a 
cultural affiliation with the human remains should contact the Slater 
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound at the address 
below by August 22, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Peter Wimberger, Slater Museum of Natural History, 
University of Puget Sound, 1500 North Warner St., Tacoma, WA 98416-
1088, telephone (253) 879-2784.

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 in the 
possession of the Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget 
Sound, Tacoma, WA. The human remains were removed from ``Western 
Washington.''
    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. The National Park Service 
is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Slater 
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Confederated Tribes and 
Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the 
Chehalis Reservation, Washington; Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Washington; Hoh 
Indian Tribe of the Hoh Indian Reservation, Washington; Jamestown 
S'Klallam Tribe of Washington; Lower Elwha Tribal Community of the 
Lower Elwha Reservation, Washington; Lummi Tribe of the Lummi 
Reservation, Washington; Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian 
Reservation, Washington; Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot 
Reservation, Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of the Nisqually 
Reservation, Washington; Nooksack Indian Tribe of Washington; Port 
Gamble Indian Community of the Port Gamble Reservation, Washington; 
Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington; Quileute Tribe 
of the Quileute Reservation, Washington; Quinault Tribe of the Quinault 
Reservation, Washington; Samish Indian Tribe, Washington; Sauk-Suiattle 
Indian Tribe of Washington; Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay 
Indian Reservation, Washington; Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish 
Reservation, Washington; Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington; Squaxin Island 
Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington; Stillaguamish 
Tribe of Washington; Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison 
Reservation, Washington; Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish 
Reservation, Washington; Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, 
Washington; and the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington 
(hereinafter referred to as ``The Tribes''). In addition, the Slater 
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound professional staff 
consulted with the following non-Federally recognized Indian groups: 
Chinook Tribe, Duwamish Tribe, Kikiallus Nation, Marietta Band of 
Nooksack Indians, Snohomish Tribe, Snoqualmoo Tribe, and Steilacoom 
Indian Tribe (hereinafter referred to as ``The Indian Groups''). The 
Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound received 
responses from the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, 
Washington; Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington; 
Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington; and 
the Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington. 
Skokomish Indian Tribe of the Skokomish Reservation, Washington 
requested a status report on the disposition of the remains, but made 
no claim for disposition. The Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup 
Reservation, Washington, and Confederated Tribes and Bands of the 
Yakama Nation, Washington, submitted a NAGPRA claim for the individual 
described in this Notice of Inventory Completion. The Squaxin Island 
Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington, supported the 
disposition of the individual to these two Indian tribes.

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date prior to 1970, human remains representing a 
minimum of one individual were removed from ``Western Washington.'' The 
remains were stored at the University of Puget Sound's Department of 
Comparative Sociology since at least the 1970s. In late Fall 2006 the 
remains were transferred to the Slater Museum by University staff. 
There is no record of the excavator, donor, date of removal, or exact 
provenience, except for ``Western Washington.'' No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Elements present include a cranium and a mandible. No cranial 
deformation is present and the mandible is missing five teeth 
postmortem. The remains are overall very clean and of a dark mottled 
coloration. Small roots are present in the nasal cavity and sediments 
are found endocranially, suggesting the individual was likely removed 
from an archeological context. Slight cortical exfoliation is present 
on both the cranium and mandible, indicating the individual was buried 
in a taphonomic environment characterized by alternating dry and wet 
conditions. Based on 14 morphological characteristics, a physical 
anthropologist determined the remains represent a (possibly) male 
individual 40-60 years old and of Native American ancestry (Gill 1998; 
Rhine 1990). Additionally, the very even and severe enamel wear 
indicate the mastication of population-specific coarse foods that 
characterized the diets of pre-contact and post-contact Native American 
populations (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994). These characteristics, in 
addition to the Slater Museum's limited information, indicate that the 
individual is of Native American ancestry. The remains may have been 
removed from any location within Western Washington, which is 
considered by the Museum to include the 19 counties located between the 
Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains. These include: Clallam, Clark, 
Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, 
Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, 
Wahkiakum, and Whatcom Counties.

Determinations Made by the Slater Museum of Natural History, University 
of Puget Sound

    Officials of the Slater Museum of Natural History, University of 
Puget Sound 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 any present-day Indian tribe.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission, the land from which the Native American human remains were 
removed is the aboriginal land of The Tribes.
     Multiple lines of evidence, including treaties, Acts of 
Congress, and Executive Orders, indicate that the land from which the 
Native American human remains were removed is the aboriginal land of 
The Tribes and The Indian Groups.
     Other credible lines of evidence, indicate that the land 
from which the Native American human remains were removed is the 
aboriginal land of The Tribes and The Indian Groups.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
above

[[Page 43712]]

represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American 
ancestry.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains is to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama 
Nation, Washington, and Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, 
Washington.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains or any other Indian tribe 
that believes it satisfies the criteria in 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1) should 
contact Peter Wimberger, Slater Museum of Natural History, University 
of Puget Sound, 1500 North Warner St., Tacoma, WA 98416-1088, telephone 
(253) 879-2784, before August 22, 2011. Disposition of the human 
remains to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, 
Washington, and Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington, 
may proceed after that date if no additional requestors come forward.
    The Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound is 
responsible for notifying The Tribes and The Indian Groups that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: July 14, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-18344 Filed 7-20-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P