[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 152 (Monday, August 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48179-48180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19990]


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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 a human remain, in consultation 
with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is no 
cultural affiliation between the human remain and any present-day 
Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself 
to be culturally affiliated with the human remain may contact the 
Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound. 
Disposition of the human remain to the Indian tribes 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 remain should contact the Slater 
Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound at the address 
below by September 7, 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 a human remain in the 
possession of the Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget 
Sound, Tacoma, WA. The human remain was likely removed from ``Columbia 
River, Wa.''.
    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 remain was made by the 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; Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian 
Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Washington; Kalispel 
Indian Community of the Kalispel Reservation, Washington; Nez Perce 
Tribe, Idaho; Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay Indian 
Reservation, Washington; and the Spokane Tribe of the Spokane 
Reservation, Washington (hereinafter referred to as ``The Tribes''). 
The Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound also 
consulted with the following non-Federally recognized Indian groups: 
the Chinook Tribe and the Wanapum Band (hereinafter referred to as 
``The Indian Groups'').
    The Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound 
received a formal, joint intertribal NAGPRA claim for the individual 
described in this notice from the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the 
Yakama Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian 
Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; and the Wanapum Band, a non-Federally recognized 
Indian group.

History and Description of the Remains

    In May 1934, a human remain--a mandible--representing a minimum of

[[Page 48180]]

one individual was likely removed from ``Columbia River, Wa.''. This 
area of removal is based on information supplied by Stanley G. Jewett. 
Jewett donated many mammal and bird collections to the Slater Museum of 
Natural History. The mandible was part of Accession 483, which included 
all of the human remains given by Jewett to the Slater Museum. The 
mandible was reviewed by a physical anthropologist who noted the 
presence of a broad and wide ascending ramus and a straight mandibular 
border. These characteristics indicate that the individual is likely of 
Native American ancestry. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Jewett's bird and mammal collecting catalogs (noted for their 
meticulousness) that are dated May 1934 indicate that he was on the 
Oregon Coast near the Columbia River during that time. His other 
catalog entries for that month were from the southeast Oregon region, 
away from the Columbia River. However, the remain is white in color, 
and it is the opinion of museum staff that it does not exhibit the 
darker coloration usually found on remains removed from burials west of 
the Cascade mountains; this may suggest the individual was removed from 
a location east of the Cascades. In general, Jewett traveled 
extensively and may have been almost anywhere on the Columbia River 
from the Canadian border to the Pacific Coast during May 1934. While 
Jewett's collecting catalogs indicate that he was working at the mouth 
of the Columbia River near the Washington coast during this time 
period, museum staff consider the coloration of the remain to suggest 
an origin east of the Cascades.
    Since it is not possible to determine specific provenience, museum 
officials reasonably believe that the removal was from somewhere along 
the Columbia River, likely from an area east of the Cascades (based on 
the bone coloration). This area encompasses 18 Washington State 
counties: Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, Klickitat, 
Benton, Walla Walla, Franklin, Yakima, Grant, Kittitas, Chelan, 
Douglas, Lincoln, Okanogan, Ferry, and Stevens.

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:
     Based on morphological characteristics and museum records, 
the human remains 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 any present-day Indian tribe.
     Multiple lines of evidence, including treaties (e.g. 
Treaty of Camp Stevens), Acts of Congress, and Executive Orders, 
indicate that the land from which the Native American human remain was 
removed is the aboriginal and ceded land of The Tribes and The Indian 
Groups.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remain described 
in this notice represent the physical remain of one individual of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remain is to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama 
Nation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; 
and the Wanapum Band, a non-Federally recognized Indian group.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remain 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 September 7, 2011. Disposition of the human 
remain to the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, 
Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; 
and the Wanapum Band, a non-Federally recognized Indian group, 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: August 2, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-19990 Filed 8-5-11; 8:45 am]
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