[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 72 (Monday, April 15, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22289-22290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-08779]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-12665; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: The Florida Department of State, 
Division of Historical Resources, Tallahassee, FL

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical 
Resources, has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation 
with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, 
and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the 
human remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations. Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request 
transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written 
request to The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical 
Resources. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of 
control of the human remains to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request 
transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to The Florida 
Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, at the address 
in this notice by May 15, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Daniel M. Seinfeld, Florida Department of State, Division of 
Historical Resources, 1001 de Soto Park Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301, 
telephone (850) 245-6301, email [email protected].

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 under 
the control of the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical 
Resources. The human remains were removed from sites in Martin, 
Collier, Pinellas, St. Lucie, and Volusia Counties, FL.
    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 Florida 
Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, professional 
staff in consultation with representatives of the Miccosukee Tribe of 
Indians and the Seminole Tribe of Florida (previously listed as the 
Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & 
Tampa Reservations)). The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma was contacted and 
invited to consult, but did not participate.

History and Description of the Remains

    In October 2012, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the Hutchinson Island Burial Mound, site 
8MT37, on Chastain Beach, in Martin County, FL. Beachgoers reported to 
local police the discovery of the human remains exposed following a 
storm. Crime scene detectives with the Martin County Sheriff's Office 
responded and collected all exposed human remains. The human remains 
were transferred to the District 19 Medical Examiner's Office. The 
Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, assumed 
jurisdiction over the human remains in March 2013, based on 
responsibilities outlined in Florida Statute 872.05. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present. The human remains were determined to be those of two 
prehistoric adult males of Native American ancestry, based on non-
metric analyses of the morphology. Site 8MT37 is a known prehistoric 
Native American archeological site.
    In September 2012, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from the southern shoreline of Keewaydin Island 
in Collier County, FL. A tourist found the remains on the surface while

[[Page 22290]]

looking for shells and took them home to Illinois. Initially believing 
the remains to be from a mastodon, she brought them to a paleontologist 
at the Illinois State Museum. A physical anthropologist with the 
Illinois State Museum analyzed the remains and determined them to be 
human. The remains were then transferred to the District 20 Medical 
Examiner in Florida. The Florida Department of State, Division of 
Historical Resources, assumed jurisdiction over the human remains in 
March 2013, based on responsibilities outlined in Florida Statute 
872.05. No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present. The human remains were determined to be those of a 
prehistoric Native American individual, based on dental wear. There is 
no known archeological site in the area, but the discovery of the human 
remains near shell suggests that the site may be an unrecorded 
prehistoric shell midden.
    In 1959, a Florida resident removed human remains representing, at 
minimum, one individual from an archaeological site in what would later 
become the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center 
in Pinellas County, FL. The resident gave the remains to her neighbor. 
After the neighbor died in 2012, the human remains were brought to 
Phyllis Kolianos, an archaeologist with the Weedon Island Preserve 
Cultural and Natural History Center. The Florida Department of State, 
Division of Historical Resources, assumed jurisdiction over the human 
remains in May 2012, based on responsibilities outlined in Florida 
Statute 872.05. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present. The remains were determined to be those 
of a prehistoric Native American individual, based on their dental wear 
and cranial morphology. There are numerous archeological sites on the 
Weedon Island, but the exact site location is unknown.
    In 1998 and 1999, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park in St. 
Lucie County, FL. An individual illegally collected the human remains 
from the park. After this individual died, his widow brought the 
remains to a member of a Florida Anthropological Society (FAS). In 
October 2012, the FAS member contacted the office of the Florida State 
Archaeologist and was instructed to alert local law enforcement. The 
St. Lucie County sheriff sent the remains to the District 19 Medical 
Examiner. The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical 
Resources, assumed jurisdiction over the human remains in December 
2012, based on responsibilities outlined in Florida Statute 872.05. No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present. The human remains were determined to be those of a prehistoric 
Native American individual, based on their condition. Handwritten notes 
accompanying the human remains indicate that they were collected from 
``Indian Burial Grounds'' in Fort Pierce Inlet State Park. There are 
numerous archeological sites in the park, but the exact site location 
is unknown.
    In the 1960s and 1970s, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from the Blue Springs Midden, site 8VO43, in 
Volusia County, FL. A visitor to Florida collected numerous items, 
including these human remains, while diving in springs and rivers. In 
January 2013, while passing through Tallahassee, the visitor decided to 
donate his collection to the Florida Department of State, Division of 
Historical Resources. Upon examining his collection, the Division of 
Historical Resources found one human bone. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Based on the 
visitor's description, the human remains are likely from the Blue 
Springs Midden, site 8VO43. Previous discoveries at the archeological 
site suggest that these human remains are likely Native American.

Determinations Made by the Florida Department of State, Division of 
Historical Resources

    Officials of the Florida Department of State, Division of 
Historical Resources, have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on archeological context and 
osteological analysis.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of six individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 Seminole Tribe of Florida 
(previously listed as the Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big 
Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa Reservations)) and The Seminole 
Nation of Oklahoma.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains may be to the Seminole Tribe of Florida (previously 
listed as the Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, 
Hollywood & Tampa Reservations)) and The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization 
not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control 
of these human remains should submit a written request with information 
in support of the request to Daniel M. Seinfeld, Florida Department of 
State, Division of Historical Resources, 1001 de Soto Park Drive, 
Tallahassee, FL 32301, telephone (850) 245-6301, email 
[email protected], by May 15, 2013. After that date, if 
no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains to the Seminole Tribe of Florida (previously listed as 
the Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood 
& Tampa Reservations)) and The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma may proceed.
    The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, 
is responsible for notifying the Seminole Tribe of Florida (previously 
listed as the Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, 
Hollywood & Tampa Reservations)) and The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 25, 2013.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2013-08779 Filed 4-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P