[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 190 (Thursday, October 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59179-59180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25051]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-19251; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Defense, Army 
Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, Omaha, NE., and State 
Archaeological Research Center, Rapid City, SD

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District (Omaha 
District), 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 the Omaha District. 
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 the Omaha District at the address in this 
notice by November 2, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Ms. Sandra Barnum, U.S. Army Engineer District, Omaha, ATTN: 
CENWO-PM-AB, 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, NE 68102, telephone, (402) 995-
2674, 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 Omaha District. 
The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from the 
Akichita site (39BF221), Buffalo County, SD.

[[Page 59180]]

    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 and associated funerary 
objects was made by State Archaeological Research Center and Omaha 
District professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

History and Description of the Remains

    Human remains that were excavated from Akichita Site (39BF0221) are 
presently located at the South Dakota State Archaeological Research 
Center (SARC).
    In 1962, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals 
were removed from the historic component of the Akichita site (39BF221) 
in Buffalo County, SD. The human remains were collected during a 
salvage excavation at the site under the direction of Robert Gant, 
State Archaeological Commission, Vermillion, SD. The human remains and 
funerary objects were transported to the Commission's office at the 
W.H. Over Museum, Vermillion, SD.
    In 1974, the collections were transferred to the newly established 
SARC. The human remains were then transferred to the University of 
Tennessee-Knoxville to be inventoried by Dr. William Bass.
    When the human remains were returned to the SARC in the 1980s, what 
was believed to be all of the human remains were repatriated to Frank 
Fools Crow, Oglala Lakota Nation.
    In 1999, SARC conducted a review of the remaining 39BF221 
collection and located fragments of human remains from these burials 
along with 95 funerary objects. These additional human remains are from 
all four individuals, an adult male, two children, and an infant. No 
known individuals were identified. The associated funerary objects are 
2 lots of white shell tubular wampum beads; 7 white glass tubular 
beads; 2 pieces of textile; 4 fragments of red silk ribbon; 1 fragment 
of fabric with glass beads attached; 2 unmodified faunal bones; 3 lots 
of wood coffin planking and wood coffin fragments; 25 metal coffin 
nails; 2 secondary flakes; 7 fragments of shoe leather; 39 brass oval 
hawk bells with textile fragments; and 1 incomplete china doll 
(``Frozen Charlotte'' doll).
    The human remains were collected from coffin burials in the 
historic component of the site. The human remains are determined to be 
Native American based on the associated burial objects and history of 
the site as associated with a Native American cemetery. The funerary 
objects associated with the burials, as well as the types of nails used 
for the coffins, dates the burials between 1860 and 1890. It is likely 
the Akichita site is associated with the historic Native American 
cemetery near the old townsite of Fort Thompson. This townsite and 
cemetery was occupied beginning around 1866. Between 1866 and 1890, the 
Yanktonai tribe was the majority population in the area, and the 
cemetery near Fort Thompson is associated with the Yanktonai. It is 
believed that 39BF221 is also associated with the Yanktonai. The 
Yanktonai are represented today by the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South 
Dakota.

Determinations Made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

    Officials of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of four individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 92 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 Yankton 
Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

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 Ms. Sandra Barnum, U.S. Army Engineer 
District, Omaha, ATTN: CENWO-PM-AB, 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, NE 68102, 
telephone, (402) 995-2674, email [email protected], by 
November 2, 2015. After that date, if no additional requestors have 
come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota may 
proceed.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District is responsible for 
notifying the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: September 8, 2015.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2015-25051 Filed 9-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P