[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 4 (Thursday, January 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 809-810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00062]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-19903; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
United States Forest Service, White River National Forest, Glenwood 
Springs, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, 
White River National Forest, 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 no cultural affiliation between the human 
remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organization. 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 White River National Forest. If no additional requestors 
come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations 
stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request 
transfer of control of the human remains should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to White River 
National Forest at the address in this notice by February 8, 2016.

[[Page 810]]


ADDRESSES: Mr. Scott Fitzwilliams, The White River National Forest, 900 
Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, telephone (970) 945-2521.

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 in the 
control of the White River National Forest, Glenwood Springs, CO, and 
in the custody of the Anasazi Heritage Center, Dolores, CO.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). 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 White 
River National Forest professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; the Kaibab Band of Paiute 
Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, Arizona; the Navajo Nation, 
Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah; the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; the 
Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of Southern 
Ute Reservation, Colorado; the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 
Reservation, Utah; the Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah; and the Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. Hereafter all tribes listed above are 
referred to as ``The Consulted and Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1998, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were delivered by a private citizen to the White River National Forest 
office in Glenwood Springs, CO. The private citizen did not leave 
personal information but did indicate that the human remains may have 
originated from southeastern Utah. The human remains consisted of two 
largely intact crania, and one mandible, likely associated with one of 
the intact skulls. A separate plastic bag containing a soil matrix 
(presumably from the site(s) of discovery), three disassociated teeth, 
and one human bone fragment was also found in the box. It is unknown if 
the bone fragment(s) and the dissociated teeth were part of the two 
human skulls although both crania and the single mandible were missing 
teeth. A cursory anatomical examination revealed the human remains were 
Native American, one female and one male, both of adult age. The 
colorations of the individual crania, along with associated soils, 
suggested that they did not originate from the same site of discovery 
or excavation. No craniometric examinations were made of the human 
remains and no destructive (e.g., DNA) analyses were performed. No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.

Determinations Made by the White River National Forest, USDA:

    Officials of the White River National Forest have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on archeological context.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of, at minimum, two 
individuals of Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and any present-day Indian tribe.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission, the lands from which the Native American human remains were 
likely removed from one the aboriginal lands of The Consulted and 
Invited Tribes.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains may be to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Ute Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    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 Mr. Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor, 
White River National Forest, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, telephone 
(970) 945-3200, by February 8, 2016. After that date, if no additional 
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 
to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, 
Colorado, New Mexico & Utah may proceed.
    White River National Forest is responsible for notifying The 
Consulted and Invited Tribes that his notice has published.

    Dated: December 3, 2015.
Amberleigh Malone,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-00062 Filed 1-6-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P