[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 247 (Friday, December 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80392-80393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32954]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Michigan Museum of 
Anthropology, Ann Arbor, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The University of Michigan 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 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 University 
of Michigan, Office of the Vice President for Research. Disposition of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects 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 remains should contact the 
University of Michigan, Office of the Vice President for Research at 
the address below by January 23, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Ben Secunda, NAGPRA Project Manager, University of 
Michigan, Office of the Vice President for Research, 4080 Fleming 
Building, 503 Thompson St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1340, telephone (734) 
647-9085.

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 University of 
Michigan. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from private land near Pleasant Lake in Lapeer 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. The National Park Service 
is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by University 
of Michigan officials and its Museum of Anthropology professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Bay Mills Indian Community, 
Michigan; Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; 
Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, 
Michigan; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, 
Michigan; Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little 
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish 
Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the 
Potawatomi, Michigan (formerly the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); Pokagon 
Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; Saginaw Chippewa 
Indian Tribe of Michigan; and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa 
Indians of Michigan (hereinafter referred to as ``The Tribes'').
    Additional requests for consultation were sent to the Bad River 
Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River 
Reservation, Wisconsin; Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's 
Reservation, Montana; Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma; Fond du Lac 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Forest County 
Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Leech 
Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Mille Lacs Band 
of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, Kansas; Quechan Tribe of the Fort 
Yuma Indian Reservation, California and Arizona; Red Cliff Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa 
Indians, Minnesota; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix 
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians 
of North Dakota; White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
Minnesota; and the Wyandotte Nation, Oklahoma.

History and Description of the Remains

    In the summer of 1973, human remains representing at minimum, 120 
individuals, were removed from the Fisher Site in Lapeer County, MI, 
during construction of a private home. The landowner contacted the 
Michigan Archaeological Society and they reached an agreement to spend 
one month salvaging the site. Those individuals excavating the site 
encountered a total of eight burial pits with large red ochre deposits. 
The burial pits contained human remains exhibiting various mortuary 
treatments, including secondary inhumation, probable primary burial, 
and cremation. One burial pit (Feature 8) was pedestalled, removed in 
large blocks, and stored at a private residence for later 
disaggregation in a controlled laboratory setting. In 1995, the human 
remains were transferred from the private residence to the University 
of Michigan, where they were accessioned into the Museum of 
Anthropology. Between 2007 and 2009 the remains were inventoried at the 
University of Michigan and those remains from Feature 8 were excavated 
from the red ochre soil matrix that had been pedestalled and removed 
from the Site. Human remains representing a minimum of 120 individuals 
were recorded from the eight burial pits. No known individuals were 
identified. The 219 objects recovered from the burial site are: 1 Stone 
abrader, 64 faunal bones, 45 fragments of charcoal, 8 eroded daub 
fragments, 8 pieces of fire cracked rock, 76 chert flakes, 2 grit-
tempered ceramic sherds, 7 jars of soil, 5 red ochre samples, and 3 
unworked shell fragments.
    The Fisher Site is dated to the Late Archaic period (2250-850 B.C.) 
based on funerary practices and the extensive use of red ochre in the 
burial puts. Carbon-14 dating was attempted on four charcoal samples, 
but the results were inconclusive.

Determinations Made by the University of Michigan

    Officials of the University of Michigan have determined that:
     Based on archeological evidence, cranial morphology, 
dental traits, and pre-contact burial dates, the human

[[Page 80393]]

remains are determined to be 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.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission, 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.
     Multiple lines of evidence, including treaties, Acts of 
Congress, and Executive Orders, indicate that the land from which the 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed is the aboriginal land of the Bad River Band of the Lake 
Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, 
Wisconsin; Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Bois Forte Band (Nett 
Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Chippewa-Cree Indians 
of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana; Citizen Potawatomi Nation, 
Oklahoma; Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand Portage Band of 
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa 
and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; 
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of 
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of 
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of 
Wisconsin; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, 
Michigan; Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay 
Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of 
Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, 
Michigan (formerly the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); Ottawa Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; 
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, Kansas; Quechan Tribe of the Fort 
Yuma Indian Reservation, California and Arizona; Red Cliff Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa 
Indians, Minnesota; Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault 
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Sokaogon Chippewa 
Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Turtle 
Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota; White Earth Band of 
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; and the Wyandotte Nation, 
Oklahoma.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 120 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 219 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 Tribes.

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 Dr. Ben Secunda, NAGPRA Project Manager, University of 
Michigan, Office of the Vice President for Research, 4080 Fleming 
Building, 503 Thompson St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1340, telephone 
(734) 647-9085, before January 23, 2012. Disposition of the human 
remains to The Tribes may proceed after that date if no additional 
requestors come forward.
    The University of Michigan's Office of the Vice President for 
Research is responsible for notifying the Bad River Band of the Lake 
Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, 
Wisconsin; Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Bois Forte Band (Nett 
Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Chippewa-Cree Indians 
of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana; Citizen Potawatomi Nation, 
Oklahoma; Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand Portage Band of 
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa 
and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; 
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of 
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of 
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of 
Wisconsin; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, 
Michigan; Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay 
Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of 
Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, 
Michigan (formerly the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); Ottawa Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; 
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, Kansas; Quechan Tribe of the Fort 
Yuma Indian Reservation, California and Arizona; Red Cliff Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa 
Indians, Minnesota; Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault 
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Sokaogon Chippewa 
Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Turtle 
Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota; White Earth Band of 
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; and the Wyandotte Nation, 
Oklahoma that this notice has been published.

    Dated: December 20, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-32954 Filed 12-22-11; 8:45 am]
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