[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6129-6130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02215]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-17306; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: History Colorado, formerly 
Colorado Historical Society, Denver, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: History Colorado 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 
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 
History Colorado. 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 History Colorado at the address in this 
notice by March 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Sheila Goff, History Colorado, 1200 Broadway, Denver, CO 
80203, telephone (303) 866-4531, 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 History Colorado, 
Denver, CO. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from Pueblo County, CO.
    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 History 
Colorado professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne and 
Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma (previously listed as the Cheyenne-Arapaho 
Tribes of Oklahoma); Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Crow Tribe of Montana; 
Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla 
Apache Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero 
Reservation, New Mexico; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; 
Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, 
Montana; Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (previously listed as the Pueblo of 
San Juan); Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (Cedar Band of Paiutes, Kanosh 
Band of Paiutes, Koosharem Band of Paiutes, Indian Peaks Band of 
Paiutes, and Shivwits Band of Paiutes) (formerly the Paiute Indian 
Tribe of Utah (Cedar City Band of Paiutes, Kanosh Band of Paiutes, 
Koosharem Band of Paiutes, Indian Peaks Band of Paiutes, and Shivwits 
Band of Paiutes)); Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Pueblo of Acoma, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San 
Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Rosebud Sioux Tribe 
of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Shoshone Tribe of the 
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the 
Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & 
Ouray Reservation, Utah; Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah; Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of 
Texas and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. The Apache 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico (previously listed as the 
Pueblo of Santo Domingo); Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Oglala Sioux 
Tribe (previously listed as the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge 
Reservation, South Dakota); Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; the Pueblo of 
Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of 
the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho; and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of 
North & South Dakota were invited to consult but did not participate. 
Hereafter, all tribes listed above are referred to as ``The Consulted 
and Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1967, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from Clift Swallows Site (5PE1) in Pueblo County, CO. The 
site was discovered and partially excavated by private citizens. They 
subsequently contacted Professor William Buckles of Southern Colorado 
State College (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) who completed 
their removal. In 1999, the remains were delivered to History Colorado 
after the closure of the Laboratory of Anthropology at the College. The 
burial was located in a cleft in rocks in a shallow pit lacking 
significant deposits above it. The burial was near the confluence of 
Rush Creek and the Arkansas River. Osteological analysis determined 
that the remains are of an adult female of Native American ancestry. No 
known individuals were identified. The four associated funerary objects 
are one lot of fragments of a woven bag, one piece of braided yucca, 
one flake and one drill bit tip.
    Based on expert opinion, archeological, geographical and historical 
evidence, and oral tradition, 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 Southern Ute 
Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado and Ute Mountain 
Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah. 
Expert opinion of Dr. Buckles concluded that the site where the remains 
originated most likely dated to the historic period based on the 
condition of the remains and funerary objects and that it was 
consistent with Ute burial practices in which the deceased were often 
placed in clefts in rock. Description of traditional Ute burial 
practices provided by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute 
Reservation, Colorado and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah confirm that the individual's 
burial was consistent with Ute burial

[[Page 6130]]

practices. The burial was located in the ancestral territory of the 
Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado, 
and Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New 
Mexico & Utah. Oral tradition and historical documents cited by the Ute 
Tribes indicate Moache, Capute and Weenuche bands used the area where 
the remains were discovered on seasonal rounds and for trading and 
raiding. Descendants from these bands now reside on the Southern Ute 
and Ute Mountain Ute Reservations. Funerary objects are consistent with 
Ute culture.

Determinations Made by History Colorado

    Officials of History Colorado have determined that:
     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(3)(A), the four 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 Southern 
Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado and Ute 
Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & 
Utah.

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 Sheila Goff, History Colorado, 1200 Broadway, 
Denver, CO 80203, telephone (303) 866-4531, email 
[email protected], by March 6, 2015. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Southern Ute 
Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado, and Ute 
Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & 
Utah may proceed.
    History Colorado is responsible for notifying The Consulted and 
Invited Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: December 10, 2014.
Melanie O'Brien,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2015-02215 Filed 2-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P