[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 121 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35785-35786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14747]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-15730; 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, 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 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 
should submit a written request to the Burke Museum. If no additional 
requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 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 should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to the Burke 
Museum at the address in this notice by July 24, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 
353010, Seattle, WA 98195-3010, 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 under 
the control of the Burke Museum. The human remains were removed from 
San Juan 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. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Burke 
Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation; Samish Indian Nation (previously 
listed as the Samish Indian Tribe, Washington); and the Swinomish 
Indian Tribal Community (previously listed as the Swinomish Indians of 
the Swinomish Reservation, Washington).

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1987, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the shell midden site 45-SJ-11 on San Juan Island in 
San Juan County, WA. The human remains were collected by Gary C. Wessen 
while on contract with the San Juan County Parks Department. The human 
remains are one human phalanx. No burials were documented at the time 
of excavation; this phalanx appears to be an isolated find. The human 
remains were transferred to the Burke Museum and

[[Page 35786]]

accessioned in 2005 (Burke Accn. 2005-111). No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Archeological evidence indicates that the human remains are Native 
American. The radiocarbon date obtained from the same stratum (Stratum 
II) as the human remains is 560BP +/- 50 years. The data suggest that 
use of the site ended shortly before historic times, with no evidence 
of a historic occupation component (Wessen 1988). Burial of human 
remains in or in close proximity to a shell midden is consistent with 
Coast Salish Native American burial practices in the San Juan Islands.
    Site 45-SJ-11 is located on the western coast of San Juan Island in 
an area that is considered part of the Gulf of Georgia Culture Area. 
Linguistically, Native American speakers of the Northern Straits Salish 
dialects claim cultural heritage to the San Juan Islands. Historical 
and anthropological sources (Stein 2000:6; Suttles 1990:456) indicate 
that the Songees, Saanich, Lummi, and Samish all had winter villages in 
the southern Gulf and San Juan Islands. Spier (1936) and Swanton (1952: 
445) documented that the Swallah's aboriginal territory included San 
Juan Island; the Swallah later joined the Lummi (Ruby and Brown 1986: 
229; Suttles 1990:456). Amoss (1978) and Suttles (1951:14) state that 
western San Juan Island was the aboriginal territory of the Songish. 
The Songish are a Canadian First Nations group and do not have standing 
under NAGPRA. The Lummi were signatories to the 1855 Point Elliot 
Treaty. Today, the Lummi are represented by the Lummi Tribe of the 
Lummi Reservation.

Determinations Made By the Burke Museum

    Officials of the Burke Museum have determined that:
     Based on archeological evidence, the human remains have 
been determined to be Native American.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 Lummi Tribe of the Lummi 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 should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to Peter Lape, Burke 
Museum, University of Washington, Box 353010, Seattle, WA 98195-3010, 
telephone (206) 685-3849, email [email protected], by July 24, 2014. After 
that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of 
control of the human remains to the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi 
Reservation may proceed.
    The Burke Museum is responsible for notifying the Lummi Tribe of 
the Lummi Reservation; Samish Indian Nation (previously listed as the 
Samish Indian Tribe, Washington); and the Swinomish Indian Tribal 
Community (previously listed as the Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish 
Reservation, Washington) that this notice has been published.

    Dated: May 5, 2014.
David Tarler,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-14747 Filed 6-23-14; 8:45 am]
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