[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45956-45957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18275]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-13277; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Hamilton County Department of 
Parks and Recreation, Hamilton County, IN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Hamilton County Department of Parks and Recreation (here 
after referred to as ``Park'') has completed an inventory of human 
remains and associated funerary objects, 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 associated funerary objects 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 and 
associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the 
Park. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary 
objects should submit a written request with information in support of 
the request to the Park at the address in this notice by August 29, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Hamilton County Department of Parks and Recreation, Attn: 
Mr. Allen Patterson, Director, 15513 South Union Street, Westfield, IN 
46033, telephone (317) 770-4400, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby 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 under the control of the Park. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from the Strawtown 
Koteewi Park, Hamilton County, IN.
    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 and associated funerary 
objects. 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 Park professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; 
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Pokagon 
Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; and the Shawnee 
Tribe. The Delaware Nation, Oklahoma, did not participate in the 
consultation but monitored the process through an agreement with the 
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.

History and Description of the Remains

    Between 2001 and 2011, human remains representing, at minimum, 34 
individuals were removed from Strawtown Koteewi Park in Hamilton 
County, IN, during field schools and by professional archaeological 
teams investigating archaeological sites within the property 
boundaries. The human remains were recovered primarily from two 
archaeological locations within the park boundaries, site 12 H 883 (The 
Strawtown Enclosure) and site 12 H 3 (The Castor Farm site). 
Additionally, one phalange was recovered from site 12 H 1052 in 2011. 
During the course of these investigations, multiple isolated human 
remains and several burials were inadvertently encountered. No intact 
burials were removed and standard archaeological procedure when 
encountering a burial involved either: (a) Exposing and documenting the 
burial or (b) once a burial was encountered, all excavations were 
halted in the immediate area. All burials were covered again with soils 
from the excavated area.
    In some instances, bone samples were removed from the burials to 
undergo further archaeological investigation. The bone samples that 
were recovered are included in the human remains intended for 
repatriation and are reflected in the minimum number of individuals 
(MNI). In addition, multiple, presumably secondarily deposited, 
isolated human remains were encountered during archaeological 
fieldwork. Often, the isolated human remains were identified in the 
laboratory post active archaeological fieldwork. These individual 
elements and fragments were recovered from feature and unit contexts. 
These items are presumed to have been secondarily deposited after they 
were prehistorically encountered during construction of houses, storage 
pits, postholes, etc. Additionally, during the 2002 excavation year, a 
number of human remains were collected from the back dirt of an active 
groundhog hole within the enclosure.
    A detailed osteological analysis of the human remains as a whole 
has not been completed. The human remains underwent archaeological 
processing and analysis under the direction of Indiana University 
Purdue University at Ft. Wayne and were then turned over to Hamilton 
County Parks and Recreation. They currently reside at the Taylor Center 
of Natural History located in Strawtown Koteewi Park, where they are 
awaiting repatriation in a secure curation facility. No known 
individuals were identified. The 151 associated funerary objects were 
removed from the two main excavation sites, as detailed below.
    From site 12 H 883, the 115 associated funerary objects are 4 lots 
of animal bone (burned and unburned); 1 animal incisor tool; 1 antler 
indeterminate tool; 1 lot of antler non-formal tool; 2 lots of antler 
projectile point, partial and unrefined; 1 lot of antler tine flakers; 
1 antler tine tool; 1 antler toggle; 1 lot of antler tool making 
debris; 1 bear maxilla; 1 bear tooth; 2 lots of bone awl fragments; 2 
lots of bone beamers, partial; 1 bone fish hook fragment; 1 bone 
indeterminate tool fragment; 1 bone tool fragment; 1 lot of bone tool 
making debris; 3 lots of burned soil; 1 burned soil or coil tip; 1 
chert biface tip; 5 chert bifaces, unrefined; 4 lots of chert core; 4 
lots of chert debitage; 1 chert graver fragment; 4 lots of chert non-
formal uniface; 2 lots of chert T-base drill; 1 chert triangular 
projectile point fragment; 2 lots of chert triangular projectile 
points; 2 lots of detritus; 1 dog skeleton from a dog burial, 
relatively complete; 1 lot of drill fragments; 4 lots of FCR; 2 lots of 
fish scale; 4 lots of flora; 1 lot of flotation; 1 lot of formal 
uniface; 1 lot of hammer stone; 1 lot of hammer stone with ochre 
residue; 1 lot of humpback knife; 1 lot of intermediate bone tool; 4 
lots of light and heavy fraction; 1 modified animal tooth; 1 lot of 
mussel shell fragments; 1 lot of non-formal uniface; 2 lots of ochre; 1 
pestle fragment; 1 pitted stone with ochre residue; 4 lots of pottery 
sherds; 1 lot of

[[Page 45957]]

quartzite biface fragments; 4 lots of quartzite debitage; 1 quartzite 
non-formal uniface; 1 lot of quartzite projectile points; 1 lot of 
refined biface fagments; 1 rock manuport; 1 sandstone abrader; 1 
sandstone palette with ochre; 1 scribed bone tool fragment; 1 scribed 
elk scapula fragments; 1 lot of shells; 1 shell tempered loop handle; 1 
slate debitage; 4 lots of soil and soil samples; 1 stone anvil with 
ochre residue; 3 lots of triangular projectile points; 1 turtle shell 
bowl; 1 lot of unrefined biface; 1 lot of unrefined biface fragment; 
and 2 lots of waste clay.
    From site 12 H 3, the 36 associated funerary objects are 2 lots of 
animal bone (burned and unburned); 1 lot of antler tool making debris; 
1 bead (one half); 1 lot of bone beamer; 1 bone tool fragment; 1 chert 
biface fragment; 3 lots of chert debitage; 1 lot of chert non-formal 
uniface; 1 conch shell column; 1 cordmarked rim/vessel section; 1 lot 
of detritus ; 1 elk beamer; 3 lots of FCR; 2 lots of flora; 1 lot of 
flotation; 2 lots of light and heavy fraction; 1 lot of mussel shell; 1 
pendant (incomplete); 3 lots of pottery sherd; 2 lots of quartzite 
debitage; 1 sandstone abrader; 1 sandstone abrader fragment; 1 lot of 
shell; 1 shell pendant (claw shaped); 1 lot of soil (burned and 
unburned); and 1 triangular point fragment.

Determinations Made by the Hamilton County Department of Parks and 
Recreation

    Officials of the Hamilton County Department of Parks and Recreation 
have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on archeological evidence.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 34 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 151 objects 
described in this notice 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), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day 
Indian tribe.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed is the aboriginal land of the Delaware Nation, Oklahoma, and 
the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
     Treaties, Acts of Congress, or 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 
Delaware Nation, Oklahoma, and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects may be to the Delaware 
Nation, Oklahoma, and the Miami Tribe 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 and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Hamilton 
County Department of Parks and Recreation, Attn: Mr. Allen Patterson, 
Director, 15513 South Union Street, Westfield, IN 46033, telephone 
(317) 770-4400; email [email protected], by August 
29, 2013. After that date, if no additional requestors have come 
forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Delaware Nation, Oklahoma, and the Miami Tribe 
of Oklahoma may proceed.
    The Park is responsible for notifying the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of 
Indians of Oklahoma; Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Eastern Shawnee Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi 
Indians, Michigan and Indiana; and the Shawnee Tribe that this notice 
has been published.

    Dated: June 11, 2013.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2013-18275 Filed 7-29-13; 8:45 am]
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