[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2878-2879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00760]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-14570; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


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, University 
of Washington (Burke Museum), 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

[[Page 2879]]

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 
Burke Museum. 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 Burke Museum at the address in this 
notice by February 18, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 
353010, Seattle, WA 98195, telephone (206) 685-3849, 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 Burke Museum. The 
human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Grays 
Harbor 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 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 Burke Museum professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis 
Reservation and the Quinault Indian Nation (previously listed as the 
Quinault Tribe of the Quinault Reservation, Washington).

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1947, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals 
were removed from Grays Harbor County, WA. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects were collected on an expedition led by 
Richard Daugherty, as a part of a survey of Grays Harbor County. Three 
of these individuals are possibly from a site designated by Daugherty 
as UW Site 15, which was on the Minard Ranch (45-GH-15). This site 
corresponds with the Native American town of Oyhut. The provenience of 
the fourth individual collected by Daugherty during his survey of Grays 
Harbor County is unknown. The human remains and funerary objects were 
donated to the Burke Museum in 1947 (Burke Accn. 3583). 
Additional human remains and associated funerary objects from this site 
were previously published in Notices of Inventory Completion in the 
Federal Register by Washington State University (May 17, 2007 and 
corrected August 21, 2008) and Central Washington University (March 16, 
2012). No known individuals were identified. The seven associated 
funerary objects are one net weight, one net weight fragment, three 
flakes, and two unmodified mammal bone fragments.
    In 1960, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from south of Ocean City in Grays Harbor County, WA. 
Michael Mattbey donated the remains to the Burke Museum in 1962 (Burke 
Accn. 1963-75). No known individuals were identified. No 
funerary objects are present.
    Osteological and anthropological evidence indicates that the human 
remains are Native American. The Minard Ranch Site (45-GH-15) is 
located at or near the traditional Copalis village of Oyhut. The 
Copalis are a subgroup of the Lower Chehalis of Southwestern Coast 
Salish culture area. The Copalis speak the Quinault language, while 
other Lower Chehalis groups speak Lower Chehalis. The traditional 
territory of the Copalis encompasses the area surrounding the Copalis 
River and stretching southward to North Bay (Hajda 1990; Spier 1936). 
Archeological evidence at the site suggests the site was occupied from 
approximately 1,000 years before the present until the early 19th 
century. The Chehalis Reservation was created in 1864 for the Upper 
Chehalis, Cowlitz, and coastal groups south of Quinault, including the 
Lower Chehalis. Many Lower Chehalis chose not to be removed from their 
aboriginal land. Individuals of Lower Chehalis descent are also members 
of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay Indian 
Reservation (previously listed as the Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the 
Shoalwater Bay Indian Reservation, Washington) and the Quinault Indian 
Nation (previously listed as the Quinault Tribe of the Quinault 
Reservation, Washington). Today, the Lower Chehalis are represented by 
the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.

Determinations Made by the Burke Museum

    Officials of the Burke Museum have determined that:
     Based on anthropological and biological evidence, the 
human remains are Native American.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of five individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the seven 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 the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis 
Reservation.

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 Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of 
Washington, Box 353010, Seattle, WA 98195, telephone (206) 685-3849, 
email [email protected], by February 18, 2014. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Confederated 
Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation may proceed.
    The Burke Museum is responsible for notifying the Confederated 
Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and the Quinault Indian Nation 
(previously listed as the Quinault Tribe of the Quinault Reservation, 
Washington) that this notice has been published.

    Dated: November 25, 2013.
David Tarler,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-00760 Filed 1-15-14; 8:45 am]
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