[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59958-59960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23818]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-14079; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, Reno, NV

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 59959]]

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) Nevada State Office 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 a cultural affiliation between the human remains and 
associated funerary objects and present-day Indian tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations. Lineal descendants or 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 
BLM. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal 
descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in 
this notice may proceed.

DATES: Lineal descendants or 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 BLM Nevada State Office at the address in 
this notice by October 30, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Mark Hall, Native American Coordinator, Bureau of Land 
Management, Winnemucca District Office, 5100 East Winnemucca Blvd., 
Winnemucca, NV 89445, telephone (775) 623-1529, 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 and 
associated funerary objects under the control of the BLM Nevada State 
Office, Reno, NV. The human remains and associated funerary objects 
were removed from Elephant Mountain Cave, in Humboldt County, NV.
    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 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 BLM Nevada State Office professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Bridgeport Indian Colony 
(previously listed as the Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of 
California); Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort 
McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Pit River Tribe, 
California (includes XL Ranch, Big Bend, Likely, Lookout, Montgomery 
Creek and Roaring Creek Rancherias); Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the 
Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; and Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of 
Nevada. The following tribes were invited to consult, but did not 
respond: Alturas Indian Rancheria, California; Big Pine Paiute Tribe of 
Owens Valley (previously listed as the Big Pine Band of Owens Valley 
Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, California); 
Bishop Paiute Tribe (previously listed as the Paiute-Shoshone Indians 
of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California); Burns Paiute 
Tribe (previously listed as the Burns Paiute Tribe of the Burns Paiute 
Indian Colony of Oregon); Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; Fort Bidwell Indian Community of the Fort 
Bidwell Reservation of California; Fort Independence Indian Community 
of Paiute Indians of Fort Independence Reservation, Califonia; Klamath 
Tribes; Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe (previously listed as the 
Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the Lone Pine 
Reservation, California); Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian 
Colony, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and 
Colony, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Walker River Paiute 
Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada; and the Winnemucca 
Indian Colony of Nevada.

History and Description of the Remains

    In the 1980s, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were illegally excavated from Elephant Mountain Cave in 
Humboldt County, NV. The human remains were recovered by State of 
Oregon law enforcement during the course of an investigation in 1995. 
Oregon law enforcement turned over the human remains, associated 
funerary objects, and other artifacts removed from the cave to the BLM 
Nevada State Office in 1999 and 2007. These materials were deposited in 
the Nevada State Museum by the BLM in 1999 and 2007. No historically 
known individuals were identified. The 22 associated funerary objects 
include 2 baskets, 4 nets/net fragments, 2 rattles or bracelets made of 
perforated artiodactyl hooves and sinew string, 7 moccasins, 5 bifaces, 
1 jasper flake, and 1 shell pendant.
    One set of human remains (NSM AHUR 6009) consists of a nearly 
complete skeleton of a child aged 6-8 years old. The sex of the 
individual could not be determined. The basket in which this individual 
was buried in dates to 2060  60 years before present (bp). 
The other set of human remains (NSM AHUR 6010) consists of a nearly 
complete skeleton of a female, 9-12 years old. The basket in which this 
individual was buried dates to 2080  60 years bp.
    The human remains were determined to be Native American based on 
the geographical location, age, biological information, and the nature 
of the associated funerary objects, which relate to other similar 
archeological and anthropological evidence of Native Americans in the 
northern Great Basin and nearby areas.
    Multiple lines of evidence--guided by tribal consultations--
including geographic, oral tradition, archeological, genetic, and 
aboriginal land claims, demonstrate a shared group identity between 
these human remains and some of the modern-day tribes of the Northern 
Paiutes. In addition, final judgments of the Indian Claims Commission 
show that the land from which the Native American human remains were 
removed is the aboriginal land of some of the Northern Paiutes. Today, 
the culturally affiliated tribes of the Northern Paiutes are: the 
Alturas Indian Rancheria, California; Big Pine Paiute Tribe of Owens 
Valley (previously listed as the Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute 
Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation, California); Bishop 
Paiute Tribe (previously listed as the Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the 
Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California); Bridgeport Indian 
Colony (previously listed as the Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of 
California); Burns Paiute Tribe (previously listed as the Burns Paiute 
Tribe of the Burns Paiute Indian Colony of Oregon); Confederated Tribes 
of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; Fort Bidwell Indian 
Community of the Fort Bidwell Reservation of California; Fort 
Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of Fort Independence 
Reservation, California; Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of 
the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Klamath 
Tribes; Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe (previously

[[Page 59960]]

listed as the Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community of the 
Lone Pine Reservation, California); Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the 
Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 
Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the 
Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; 
Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada; and 
the Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada (hereafter referred to as ``The 
Tribes'').

Determinations Made by the BLM Nevada State Office

    Officials of the BLM Nevada State Office have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of two individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 22 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), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native 
American human remains and associated funerary objects and The Tribes.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or 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 Mark Hall, Native American Coordinator, 
Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca District Office, 5100 East 
Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445, telephone (775) 623-1529, email 
[email protected], by October 30, 2013. After that date, if no additional 
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 
and associated funerary objects to The Tribes may proceed.
    The BLM Nevada State Office is responsible for notifying The Tribes 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: September 12, 2013.
David Tarler,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2013-23818 Filed 9-27-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P