[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18064-18065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07144]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-15187; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Museum of Northern 
Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Museum of Northern Arizona, in consultation with the 
appropriate Indian tribes, has determined that the cultural items 
listed in this notice meet the definition of unassociated funerary 
objects. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or 
Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to 
claim these cultural items should submit a written request to the 
Museum of Northern Arizona. If no additional claimants come forward, 
transfer of control of the cultural items to the Indian tribes 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 
claim these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to the Museum of Northern Arizona 
at the address in this notice by April 30, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Elaine Hughes, Collection Manager, Museum of Northern 
Arizona, 3103 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, telephone 
(928) 774-5211 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. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items under the 
control of the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ, that meet the 
definition of unassociated funerary objects under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    All of the cultural objects described below were removed from 
private or state-owned lands in Coconino County,

[[Page 18065]]

AZ, between 1932 and 1953. These objects were collected by private 
individuals without permission or knowledge of the landowners. Records 
kept by the individuals provide substantive evidence that the objects 
were recovered in association with human remains from prehistoric 
archeological sites. The human remains were not collected, so these 
items are considered unassociated funerary objects. In 1981, these 
objects were donated to the Museum of Northern Arizona, where they are 
currently housed. Due to the interspersed nature of the private and 
state land parcels and the casual nature of the excavation records, it 
is not possible to accurately establish the location of the sites from 
which the objects were removed. The site names listed below were used 
by the private individuals and are not official site designations.
    In 1932, 16 ceramic vessels were removed from  1 Ruin. In 
1937, two ceramic vessels were removed from Two Hills. In 1938, one 
ceramic vessel was removed from Stuck in Cinders. In 1938, three 
ceramic vessels were removed from Big Apple. In 1941, one ceramic 
vessel was removed from Kelhem  1 and four ceramic vessels 
were removed from Two Hills. In 1942, one ceramic vessel was removed 
from Lousey. In 1947, one ceramic vessel was removed from an unnamed 
site and three ceramic vessels were removed from Backache. In 1949, two 
ceramic vessels were removed from Sheep Fence. In 1953, three ceramic 
vessels were removed from Birthday. Also in 1953, seven ceramic 
vessels, one shell bead, and one shell bracelet were removed from 
Birthday.
    The unassociated funerary objects listed in this notice were 
removed from sites related to the Northern Sinagua archeological 
culture. The Museum of Northern Arizona is using the cultural 
affiliation study completed by the USDA Forest Service in 1996 for 
prehistoric archeological remains in the Coconino County, AZ, region, 
including lands directly adjacent to the sites listed above. Based on 
evidence relevant to archeological, anthropological, biological, 
geographical, oral traditions/folklore and kinship, the USDA Forest 
Service established that the Northern Sinagua were most closely 
affiliated with the modern Hopi Tribe of Arizona. In reviewing the 1996 
USDA cultural affiliation study, as well as pertinent literature in the 
site records at the Museum of Northern Arizona and study of the 
unassociated funerary objects, the Museum of Northern Arizona concurs 
that the objects are more closely affiliated with the modern Hopi Tribe 
of Arizona.

Determinations Made by the Museum of Northern Arizona

    Officials of the Museum of Northern Arizona have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), the 46 cultural items 
described above 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the 
evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of a Native 
American individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the 
unassociated funerary objects and the Hopi Tribe of Arizona.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim 
these cultural items should submit a written request with information 
in support of the claim to Elaine Hughes, Collection Manager, Museum of 
Northern Arizona, 3103 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, 
telephone (928) 774-5211 email [email protected], by April 30, 
2014. After that date, if no additional claimants have come forward, 
transfer of control of the unassociated funerary objects to the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona may proceed.
    The Museum of Northern Arizona is responsible for notifying the 
Havasupai Tribe of the Havasupai Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona; Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation, 
Arizona; Navajo Nation of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah; Yavapai-
Prescott Indian Tribe; and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 
Mexico, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 6, 2014.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-07144 Filed 3-28-14; 8:45 am]
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