[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 24 (Monday, February 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5842-5843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2524]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, 
Bemidji, MN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council 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 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 Minnesota Indian Affairs 
Council. Disposition of the human remains 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 
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council at the address below by March 7, 2012.

ADDRESSES: James L. (Jim) Jones, Cultural Resource Director, Minnesota 
Indian Affairs Council, 3801 Bemidji Avenue NW., Suite 5, Bemidji, MN 
56601, telephone (218) 755-3223.

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 Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. The human remains 
were removed from the following counties in Minnesota: Aitkin, Crow 
Wing, and Kanabec.
    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 the 
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of 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; Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Keweenaw 
Bay Indian Community, Michigan; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe, Minnesota; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Red Cliff Band 
of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Sokaogon Chippewa 
Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; and the 
White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (hereinafter 
referred to as ``The Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date, human remains representing 33 individuals were 
removed from site 21-AK-9, Battle Island, in Big Sandy Lake, Aitkin 
County, MN by Mr. Eugene Grolla. In 1966, the human remains were 
donated to the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS 150.6) and in 1987, 
they were transferred to the MIAC. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Additional remains from this site were published in a Federal 
Register notice (64 FR 43220, Monday, August 9, 1999). These human 
remains are associated with the Woodland Tradition, a broad 
archeological classification which cannot be associated with any 
present-day Indian tribe.
    During the 1970s, human remains representing eight individuals were 
removed from a bulldozed mound located on the southeast tip of Platte 
Lake during archeological recovery by Richard Lane, St. Cloud State 
University (Acc. 103). The mound may have been located in either Crow 
Wing County, MN or Morrison County, MN. In 1992, the human remains were 
transferred to the MIAC (H233B). No known individuals were identified. 
No associated funerary objects are present.
    These human remains may be associated with the Woodland Tradition, 
a broad archeological classification which cannot be associated with 
any present-day Indian tribe.
    During the 1960s, human remains representing one individual were 
recovered from an unknown location in the city of Brainerd, Crow Wing 
County, MN by unknown person(s). In 1995, the human remains were 
donated to the MIAC (H298). No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects were present.
    The condition of the bones suggests the remains are ancient while; 
morphologically, the femora indicate American Indian ancestry. These 
human remains have no archeological classification and cannot be 
associated with any present-day Indian tribe.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing one individual were 
removed from an undesignated mound site in Crow Wing County, MN by 
unknown person(s) and donated to the Crow Wing County Historical 
Society (Acc. 73-69). In 1995, the remains were transferred to the 
Minnesota Office of the State Archeologist. In 1997, the human remains 
were transferred to the MIAC (H330). No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    These human remains may be associated with the Woodland Tradition, 
a broad archeological classification which cannot be associated with 
any present-day Indian tribe.
    In the 1920s and 1930s, human remains representing one individual 
were removed from an undesignated location in the Pequot Lakes area, 
Crow Wing County, MN by a collector from the region. In 1975, the human 
remains were donated to the Crow Wing County Historical Society (Acc. 
1226) as part of the Gustavson collection. In 1998, the human remains 
were donated to the Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist by the 
descendants of the collector. In 2002, the human remains were 
transferred to the MIAC (H385). No

[[Page 5843]]

known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Based on their condition, the human remains belong to a pre-
contact, American Indian individual. These human remains have no 
archeological classification and cannot be associated with any present-
day Indian tribe.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing one individual were 
recovered from a mound near Fish Lake, site 21KA12, Kanabec County, MN 
by unknown person(s). In 2002, the human remains were transferred to 
the Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist and then to the 
Minnesota MIAC (H406). No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    These human remains are associated with the Woodland Tradition, a 
broad archeological classification which cannot be associated with any 
present-day Indian tribe.

Determinations Made by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

    Officials of the MIAC have determined that:
     Based on non-destructive physical analysis and catalogue 
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.
     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.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 45 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 James L. (Jim) Jones, Cultural Resource Director, Minnesota 
Indian Affairs Council, 3801 Bemidji Avenue NW., Suite 5, Bemidji, MN 
56601, telephone (218) 755-3223, before March 7, 2012. Disposition of 
the human remains to The Tribes may proceed after that date if no 
additional requestors come forward.
    The Minnesota Indian Affairs is responsible for notifying The 
Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: January 31, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-2524 Filed 2-3-12; 8:45 am]
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