[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 189 (Friday, September 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59649-59651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23915]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-11060; 2200-1100-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Thomas Burke Memorial Washington 
State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum (Burke 
Museum), University of Washington, has completed an inventory of human 
remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the 
appropriate Indian tribes, and has determined that there is a cultural 
affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects 
and a present-day Indian tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe 
that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the human remains 
and associated funerary objects may contact the Burke Museum. 
Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribe 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 Burke Museum at the address below by October 
29, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 
35101, Seattle, WA 98195, telephone (206) 685-3849.

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 Burke Museum. The 
human remains were removed from San Juan County, WA.
    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 human remains. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects was made by the Burke Museum professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation, 
Washington; Samish Indian Tribe, Washington; and the Swinomish Indians 
of the Swinomish Reservation, Washington.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1951, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from a shell midden (site 45-SJ-239) on the northern end 
of Eastsound on Orcas Island, in San Juan County, WA. The human remains 
were removed by Keith Thompson of the University of Washington while 
conducting a geological survey of the area and were transferred to the 
Burke Museum sometime prior to 1970. The human remains were found in 
collections at the Burke Museum in 1995 (Burke Accn. 1995-79). 
No known individuals were identified. No funerary objects are present.
    In 1957, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from a shell midden (site 45-SJ-240) on the northern end 
of Eastsound on Orcas Island, in San Juan County, WA. The human remains 
were removed by Thomas Greaves and donated to the Burke Museum in 1962 
(Burke Accn. 1963-23). No known

[[Page 59650]]

individuals were identified. No funerary objects are present. The human 
remains from site 45-SJ-240 are consistent with Native American 
morphology as evidenced through cranial deformation and bossing of the 
cranium, as well as the presence of wormian bones.
    In 1951, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from a shell midden (site 45-SJ-231) on the southwest 
shore of Eastsound on Orcas Island, in San Juan County, WA. The human 
remains were removed by Keith Thompson of the University of Washington 
while conducting a geological survey of the area and were transferred 
to the Burke Museum sometime prior to 1970. The human remains were 
found in collections at the Burke Museum in 1995 (Burke Accn. 
1995-79). No known individuals were identified. No funerary 
objects are present.
    The three Orcas Island sites listed above are documented shell 
midden archaeological sites and are considered part of the Gulf of 
Georgia Culture Area. Material culture observed at the sites, 
projectile points, antler wedges, barbed harpoons, awls, hammers, and 
net weights, is consistent with Native American Coast Salish material 
culture. Oral history indicates that Orcas Island was occupied by the 
Lummi and Swallah people. The Lummi people seasonally occupied Crescent 
Beach and White Beach on Orcas Island for clamming until 1938 and 1942 
respectively (Site Survey Form). Eastsound on Orcas Island was one of 
the primary areas occupied by the Swallah, who later joined the Lummi 
(Ruby and Brown 1986: 229; Suttles 1990:456).
    In 1951, human remains representing, at minimum, eleven individuals 
were removed from Armadale Valley on San Juan Island in San Juan 
County, WA. The human remains were removed by a University of 
Washington field party led by Warren Caldwell. The human remains may 
have been transferred to the Burke Museum by the University of 
Washington Anthropology Department in 1991 and were accessioned by the 
Burke Museum in 1995 (Burke Accn. 1995-66). No known 
individuals were identified. No funerary objects are present. The human 
remains from Armadale Valley were found in cairn burials.
    In 1951, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the ``International Camp'' (site 45-SJ-28) at 
Westcott Bay on San Juan Island, in San Juan County, WA. The human 
remains were removed by Keith Thompson of the University of Washington 
while conducting a geological survey of the area and were transferred 
to the Burke Museum sometime prior to 1970. The human remains were 
found in collections at the Burke Museum in 1995 (Burke Accn. 
1995-79). No known individuals were identified. The associated 
funerary objects are one lot of deer bones.
    In 1926, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from Mitchell Bay on San Juan Island, in San Juan County, 
WA. The human remains were collected by J.E. Kolhs and given to A.G. 
Colley while on a University of Washington Museum expedition in the San 
Juan Islands. The human remains were transferred to the Burke Museum 
and accessioned in 1926 (Burke Accn. 2123). No known 
individuals were identified. No funerary objects are present.
    The three San Juan Island sites listed above are on the 
northwestern portion of San Juan Island, which is considered part of 
the Gulf of Georgia Culture Area. The human remains from these three 
sites are consistent with Native American morphology as evidenced 
through cranial flattening. Historical and anthropological sources 
(Amoss 1978; Spier 1936; Suttles 1951; and Termain 1975) indicate that 
the northwestern portion of San Juan Island is at the intersection of 
the traditional territory of the Saanich, Songish, and the Lummi. Amoss 
stated that these sites fall within the traditional territory of the 
Songish. Suttles documented Saanich, Songish, and the Lummi traditional 
territory in the Wesctott Bay and Mitchell Bay area, while Spier 
indicated that the Swallah occupied the area. The Swallah later joined 
the Lummi (Ruby and Brown 1986: 229; Suttles 1990:456). Tremaine 
documents the Wesctott Bay and Mitchell Bay area as Lummi territory. 
Furthermore, Lummi oral tradition discusses the first man, swete'n, 
coming down to northern San Juan Island (Suttles 1951:33). The Songish 
and Saanich are Canadian First Nations groups and do not have standing 
under NAGPRA.
    In 1961, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from Butner Bay on Shaw Island, in San Juan County, WA. 
The human remains were donated to the Burke Museum in 1961 by Mrs. 
Ahlene Crawford, a University of Washington undergraduate student in 
the Anthropology Department (Burke Accn. 1963-19). No known 
individuals were identified. The one funerary object is a deer scapula. 
The human remains are consistent with Native American morphology as 
evidenced through intentional cranial deformation, as well as the 
presence of wormian bones. Shaw Island is located in the center of the 
San Juan Island archipelago, which is considered part of the Gulf of 
Georgia Culture Area.
    In 1951, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from near North Bay on San Juan Island, in San Juan 
County, WA. The human remains were removed by Keith Thompson of the 
University of Washington while conducting a geological survey of the 
area and were transferred to the Burke Museum sometime prior to 1970. 
The human remains were found in collections at the Burke Museum in 1995 
(Burke Accn. 1995-79). No known individuals were identified. 
No funerary objects are present. North Bay is on the southeastern 
portion of San Juan Island, which is considered part of the Gulf of 
Georgia Culture Area.
    In 1949, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from Argyle Lagoon on San Juan Island, in San Juan County, 
WA. The human remains were removed by Mr. Carroll Borroughs and 
transferred to the Burke Museum in 1951 (Burke Accn. 3649). 
The human remains were found in collections at the Burke Museum in 
2000. No known individuals were identified. The one funerary object is 
a seed. Argyle Lagoon is on the southeastern portion of San Juan 
Island, which is considered part of the Gulf of Georgia Culture Area.
    All of the human remains in this notice have been determined to be 
Native American based on a variety of sources including archaeological 
and biological evidence. Burial of human remains in or in close 
proximity to a shell midden is consistent with Coast Salish Native 
American burial practices in the San Juan Island area.
    All of the sites described in this notice are considered to be part 
of the Gulf of Georgia Culture Area. Linguistically Native American 
speakers of the Northern Straits Salish dialects claim cultural 
heritage to the San Juan Islands. Historical and anthropological 
sources (Stein 2000:6; Suttles 1990:456) indicate that the Songees, 
Saanich, Lummi, and Samish all had winter villages in the southern Gulf 
and San Juan islands. Historical and anthropological sources (Amoss 
1978, Stern 1934, Suttles 1951, and Termaine 1975) state that Orcas 
Island, Shaw Island, and the eastern portion of San Juan Island are 
within the traditional territory of the Lummi. The Lummi were 
signatories to the Point Elliot Treaty in 1855. The Indian Claims 
Commission ruled that Orcas and Shaw Islands were within the aboriginal 
territory of the Lummi. Today, the

[[Page 59651]]

Lummi are represented by the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation, 
Washington.

Determinations Made by the Burke Museum

    Officials of the Burke Museum have determined that:
     Based on anthropological and biological evidence, the 
human remains have been determined to be Native American.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
above represent the physical remains of 20 individuals of Native 
American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the three 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 Native 
American human remains and the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation, 
Washington.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Peter 
Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 35101, Seattle, WA 
98195, telephone (206) 685-3849, before October 29, 2012. Repatriation 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Lummi Tribe 
of the Lummi Reservation, Washington, may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    The Burke Museum is responsible for notifying the Lummi Tribe of 
the Lummi Reservation, Washington; Samish Indian Tribe, Washington; and 
the Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, Washington, that 
this notice has been published.

    Dated: August 22, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-23915 Filed 9-27-12; 8:45 am]
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