[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 140 (Thursday, July 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43718-43719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18361]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM and Field Museum 
of Natural History, Chicago, IL

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila 
National Forest and the Field Museum of Natural History have completed 
an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in 
consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and have determined 
that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and 
associated funerary objects and present-day Indian tribes. 
Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects may contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 
Gila National Forest. Repatriation of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Indian tribes stated below may occur if no 
additional claimants 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 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service, Gila National Forest at the address below by August 22, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Frank E. Wozniak, Southwestern Region and National 
NAGPRA Coordinator, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 333 
Broadway Blvd., SE., Albuquerque, NM 87102, telephone (505) 842-3238.

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 control of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM, and 
in the possession of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL. 
The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from the 
Gila National Forest, Catron Country, NM.
    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

[[Page 43719]]

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 the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and the Zuni Tribe of 
the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico (hereinafter referred to as ``The 
Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    Between 1935 and 1955, human remains and associated funerary 
objects were recovered from the SU site, Oak Springs Pueblo, Tularosa 
Cave, Apache Creek Pueblo, the Turkey Foot Ridge site, Wet Leggett 
Pueblo, Three Pines Pueblo, South Leggett Pueblo and Valley View 
Pueblo, in Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM, by Dr. Paul Martin 
of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL. There have been 
several Notices of Inventory Completion (NICs) published in the Federal 
Register for these sites (63 FR 39293-39294, July 22, 1998; 70 FR 
44686-44687, August 3, 2005; 70 FR 56483-56484, September 27, 2005; and 
71 FR 38413, July 6, 2006). The human remains and associated funerary 
objects described in those NICs have been repatriated. In 2009 and 
2010, the Field Museum of Natural History staff undertook a 
reassessment of archeological materials removed from the Gila National 
Forest. Further, in 2010, a large portion of the North American 
archeological collections were moved to a new location in the museum. 
During the course of the re-examination and transfer, additional human 
remains and associated funerary objects from Tularosa Cave, Apache 
Creek Pueblo, the Turkey Foot Ridge site, Wet Leggett Pueblo, Three 
Pines Pueblo, and Valley View Pueblo were discovered that had not been 
described in the previously published NICs. The additional human 
remains and associated funerary objects are currently in the possession 
of the Field Museum of Natural History. The human remains represent a 
minimum of 21 individuals. No known individuals were identified. There 
are five additional associated funerary objects which include sherds, a 
stone tool, faunal remains, and adobe.
    Based on material culture, architecture, and site organization, the 
sites have been identified as Upland Mogollon sites. Continuities of 
ethnographic materials, technology, and architecture indicate 
affiliation of Upland Mogollon sites with historic and present-day 
Puebloan cultures. Oral traditions presented by representatives of The 
Tribes support cultural affiliation with these Upland Mogollon sites in 
this portion of southwestern New Mexico.

Determinations Made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service, Gila National Forest

    Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 
Gila National Forest have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
above represent the physical remains of 21 individuals of Native 
American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the five 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 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the human 
remains and associated funerary objects and The Tribes.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Dr. Frank E. Wozniak, Southwestern Region and 
National NAGPRA Coordinator, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service, 333 Broadway Blvd., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, telephone (505) 
842-3238, before August 22, 2011. Repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects to The Tribes may proceed after that date 
if no additional claimants come forward.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National 
Forest is responsible for notifying The Tribes that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: July 14, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-18361 Filed 7-20-11; 8:45 am]
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