[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23497-23498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9433]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Benton County 
Historical Society and Museum, Philomath, OR

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Benton County Historical Society and Museum (BCHS), in 
consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, has determined that 
the cultural items meet the definition of sacred objects and 
repatriation to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no 
additional claimants come forward. Representatives of any Indian tribe 
that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the cultural 
items may contact the Benton County Historical Society and Museum.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes it has a 
cultural affiliation with the cultural items should contact the Benton 
County Historical Society and Museum at the address below by May 21, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Mary K. Gallagher, Benton County Historical Society and 
Museum, 1101 Main Street, P.O. Box 35, Philomath, OR 97370, telephone 
(541) 929-6230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the 
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 
U.S.C. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items under the 
control of the Benton County Historical Society and Museum, Philomath, 
OR, that meet the definition of sacred objects under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    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 this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the Native 
American cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

[[Page 23498]]

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    The nine cultural items include: 1 basket hat; 1 drum; 1 wild 
celery root; 1 decorated wooden projectile point; 1 elk horn purse; 1 
grass and bead hair wrap; 1 necklace of dentalia shells and small round 
black glass beads; 1 ceremonial bow; and 1 associated arrow. All of the 
items are from the Horner Museum, which was established in 1925 on the 
campus of what is now Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR. In 
2005, items from the Horner Museum were acquired by the Benton County 
Historical Society and Museum (BCHS) located in nearby Philomath, OR. 
At the time of the transfer, Oregon State University (OSU) was in the 
process of completing NAGPRA requirements for items from the Horner 
Museum. In the transfer agreement with OSU, the BCHS took physical 
custody all unclaimed NAGPRA items and is now responsible for NAGPRA 
claims for cultural items from the collection.
    Six of the cultural items (the hat, the drum, the wild celery root, 
the elk horn purse, the projectile point, and the hair wrap) are from 
the collection of Mrs. James Edmond Barrett. According to notes found 
in the Horner Museum donor file, Mrs. Barrett was a schoolteacher in 
southwestern Oregon who collected these cultural items over a period of 
60 years. In 1927, she loaned her collection to the Horner Museum at 
what was then Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) to honor her son and 
daughter-in-law who attended OAC. This loan was renewed in 1939 and 
again 1947. In 1972, the collection was donated to the Horner Museum by 
Lois Barrett, the daughter-in-law of Mrs. James Edmond Barrett. 
According to the 1934 catalog cards, three items (the elk horn purse, 
the wild celery root and the projectile point) originated from Happy 
Camp, CA, and one item (the drum) was used in religious festivals held 
twice a year on the Klamath River. The other two items do not have 
catalog cards.
    Two of the cultural items (the bow and the arrow) are from the Dr. 
J. L. Hill collection. The J. L. Hill collection was donated to OAC in 
1924 and formed the nucleus of the Horner Museum which opened in 1925. 
Previously, the J. L. Hill collection was housed at the Hill Museum in 
Albany, OR. On September 30, 1924, the Barometer newspaper reported, 
``The Hill museum of Albany, the largest private collection of natural 
history specimens, Indian relics, and miscellaneous articles in Oregon, 
has been given to the college by the heirs of Dr. J. L. Hill. The 
material was collected by Doctor Hill during a period of sixty years 
from all parts of the earth regardless of expense'' (Barometer, OAC, 
Corvallis, OR). The bow and the arrow from the Hill Collection have no 
original catalog card and no known provenance. Suggested affiliation, 
based on consultations, include Karuk, Hupa, Towla and Duckwater 
Shoshone.
    One cultural item (the dentalia necklace) is from the collection of 
the Kennedy-Tartar family. This collection was donated to the Horner 
Museum in 1973. The original catalog card does not provide any 
information on the provenance of this item. Members of Kennedy-Tartar 
family had a connection to Siletz tribal members and donated items to 
the Horner Museum that clearly came from the Siletz. There are also 
many items in the Kennedy-Tartar collection from the Klamath tribes, 
much of which has been claimed. At least one piece of paper in the 
accession file has the word ``Karuk'' but there is no indication of 
what item is referenced.
    On July 13, 2011, representatives of the Karuk Tribe visited the 
BCHS to view unclaimed cultural items. On August 15, 2011, the BCHS 
received a claim from the Karuk Tribe for the repatriation of nine 
cultural items. The BCHS reviewed the claim and determined that 
cultural affiliation to the Karuk Tribe is clearly established for six 
of the cultural items. On November 17, 2005, Smith River Rancheria 
withdrew a claim for one of the items (the basket hat) noting that 
after reviewing the item again they believed that in fact it was Karuk 
in origin. After a review of additional evidence presented by the Karuk 
Tribe, the BCHS has determined that cultural affiliation to the Karuk 
Tribe exists for all nine cultural items and that these cultural items 
are sacred objects that have religious significance in the practice of 
traditional ceremony.

Determinations Made by the Benton County Historical Society and Museum

    Officials of the BCSM have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(C), the nine cultural items 
described above are specific ceremonial objects needed by traditional 
Native American religious leaders for the practice of traditional 
Native American religions by their present-day adherents.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the sacred 
objects and the Karuk Tribe (formerly Karuk Tribe of California).

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the sacred objects should contact Mary K. 
Gallagher, Benton County Historical Society and Museum, 1101 Main 
Street, PO Box 35, Philomath, OR 97370, telephone (541) 929-6230 before 
May 21, 2012. Repatriation of the sacred objects to the Karuk Tribe may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Benton County Historical Society is responsible for notifying 
the Karuk Tribe that this notice has been published.

    Dated: April 12, 2012.
David Tarler,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-9433 Filed 4-18-12; 8:45 am]
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