[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2877-2878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00763]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-14596; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Valley Authority, 
Knoxville, TN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has completed an 
inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in 
consultation with the appropriate Federally recognized Indian tribes, 
and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the 
human remains and associated funerary objects and a present-day 
Federally recognized Indian tribe. Lineal descendants or 
representatives of any Federally recognized Indian tribe 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 TVA. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Federally 
recognized Indian tribe stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Lineal descendants or representatives of any Federally 
recognized Indian tribe 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 TVA at the address in this notice by February 
18, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Thomas O. Maher, TVA, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT11D, 
Knoxville, TN 37902-1401, telephone (865) 632-7458, 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 TVA. The human remains 
and associated funerary objects were removed from the Rudder site in 
Jackson County, AL.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative

[[Page 2878]]

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 was made by TVA 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
University of Alabama and the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (previously listed as the Alabama-
Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town; Cherokee 
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Kialegee Tribal Town; Poarch Band of Creeks (previously 
listed as the Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama); Seminole Tribe 
of Florida (previously listed as the Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, 
Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa Reservations)); Shawnee Tribe; 
The Chickasaw Nation; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation 
of Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

History and Description of the Remains

    From March 13 to November 14, 1939, human remains representing, at 
minimum, 67 individuals were removed from the Rudder site (1JA180), in 
Jackson County, AL. The Rudder site was excavated as part of TVA's 
Guntersville reservoir project by the Alabama Museum of Natural History 
(AMNH) at the University of Alabama, using labor and funds provided by 
the Works Progress Administration. Excavation of the land commenced 
after TVA had acquired this land for the Guntersville project. The 
excavation site was composed of a truncated trapezoidal mound with 
multiple construction periods and a smaller mound containing most of 
the burial units. This site was occupied during the Henry Island phase 
of the Mississippian culture (ca. A.D. 1200-1400). Details regarding 
this site may be found in An Archaeological Survey of Guntersville 
Basin on the Tennessee River in Northern Alabama by William S. Webb and 
Charles G. Wilder. The human remains and associated funerary objects 
excavated from the Rudder site have always been in the physical custody 
of the AMNH at the University of Alabama. The human remains include 
adults, juveniles, and infants of both sexes. No known individuals were 
identified. The 6,122 associated funerary objects are 3 ceramic bowls, 
1 duck effigy bowl, 1 ceramic cup, 10 ceramic jars, 3 ceramic water 
bottles, 1 ceramic ear spool, 1,258 pottery sherds, 20 stone celts, 3 
projectile points, 310 chert flakes, 1 ground sandstone object, 1 
limestone discoidal, 1 stone pipe, 74 pebbles, 1 piece of galena, 4 
pieces of graphite, 2 pieces of an unknown green mineral, 2 pieces of 
talc, 4 pieces of hematite, 23 pieces of mica, 1 limonite, 4,361 shell 
beads, 8 carved shell gorgets, 13 pieces of mussel shell, 4 pieces of 
animal bone awl, 1 copper disk, 2 wooden ear spools (one with copper 
layer), and 9 wood fragments.
    Although there is no scientific certainty that Native Americans of 
the Henry Island phase are directly related to modern Federally 
recognized tribes, Spanish and French explorers of the 16th and 17th 
centuries do indicate the presence chiefdom level tribal entities in 
the southeastern United States. The Coosa paramount chiefdom noted in 
historical chronicles is the most likely entity related to Henry Island 
phase sites in this part of the Guntersville Reservoir. Tribal groups 
or towns now part of The Muscogee (Creek) Nation claim descent from the 
Coosa chiefdom. The preponderance of the evidence indicates that in 
this part of the Guntersville Reservoir area, Henry Island phase sites 
are most likely culturally associated with groups now part of the 
Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Determinations Made by the Tennessee Valley Authority

    Officials of TVA have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 67 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 6,122 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 Muscogee 
(Creek) Nation.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Federally recognized 
Indian tribe 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 Dr. Thomas O. Maher, TVA, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, 
WT11D, Knoxville, TN 37902-1401, telephone (865) 632-7458, 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 Muscogee (Creek) 
Nation may proceed.
    TVA is responsible for notifying the University of Alabama and the 
Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas 
(previously listed as the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Alabama-
Quassarte Tribal Town; Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Kialegee Tribal Town; 
Poarch Band of Creeks (previously listed as the Poarch Band of Creek 
Indians of Alabama); Seminole Tribe of Florida (previously listed as 
the Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood 
& Tampa Reservations)); Shawnee Tribe; The Chickasaw Nation; The 
Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco 
Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in 
Oklahoma, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: December 2, 2013.
Melanie O'Brien,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-00763 Filed 1-15-14; 8:45 am]
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