[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18057-18058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07135]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-15255; 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 April 
30, 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 Cox site in 
Jackson County, AL.
    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 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

[[Page 18058]]

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 April 27, 1938, to November 10, 1939, human remains 
representing, at minimum, 19 individuals were removed from the Cox site 
(1JA176), in Jackson County, AL. The Cox 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 on July 19, 1937 for the 
Guntersville project. The excavation site was composed of a conical 
mound believed to have originally been a truncated pyramid, with 
multiple stratigraphic zones and also a village site containing most of 
the burial units. This site was occupied during the Crow Creek phase 
(ca. A.D. 1400-1600) at the end of the Mississippian period. 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 Cox 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 508 associated 
funerary objects are 6 shell-tempered bowls, 6 shell-tempered jars, 1 
shell-tempered water bottle, 1 shell-tempered human effigy pot, 51 
shell-tempered pot sherds, 3 pieces of a shell gorget, 3 intact shell 
gorgets, 422 shell beads, 1 bird bone tool, 1 shell hairpin, 7 bone 
awls, 1 greenstone celt, 4 projectile points, and 1 stone discoidal.
    Although there is no scientific certainty that Native Americans of 
the Crow Creek phase are directly related to modern Federally 
recognized tribes, Spanish explorers of the 16th century do indicate 
the presence of chiefdom level tribal entities in the southeastern 
United States. The Coosa paramount chiefdom noted in historical 
chronicles is the most likely entity related to Crow Creek 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, Crow Creek 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 19 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 508 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 April 30, 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: March 11, 2014.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-07135 Filed 3-28-14; 8:45 am]
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