[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4657-4659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01595]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-20019; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Fowler Museum at the University 
of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, and California Department 
of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Fowler Museum at the University of California Los Angeles 
(UCLA) and California Department of Parks and Recreation have completed 
an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in 
consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations, and have 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 California Department of Parks and Recreation. 
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 California Department of Parks and 
Recreation at the address in this notice by February 26, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Leslie Hartzell, Ph.D., NAGPRA Coordinator, Cultural 
Resources Division Chief, California State Parks, P.O. Box 942896, 
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001, telephone (916) 653-9946, 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 in the physical custody of the Fowler 
Museum at UCLA and under the control of the California Department of 
Parks and Recreation. The human remains and associated funerary objects 
were removed from Ventura and Los Angeles counties, CA.
    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 the Fowler 
Museum at UCLA professional staff in consultation with representatives 
of Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez 
Reservation, California, and the following nonfederally recognized 
Indian groups: Barbareno Chumash Council; Barbareno/Ventureno Band of 
Mission Indians; Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation; Fernande[ntilde]o 
Tataviam Band of Mission Indians; Gabrielino/Tongva Indians of 
California Tribe; Gabrielino/Tongva Nation; Gabrieleno/Tongva Tribal 
Council; Northern Chumash Tribe; San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians; 
Ti'at Society; and the Traditional Council of Pimu.

History and Description of the Human Remains and Associated Funerary 
Objects

    In 1954 and 1970, human remains representing, at minimum, 40 
individuals were removed from Arroyo Sequit (CA-LAN-52) in Los Angeles 
County, CA. Excavations were conducted by Clement Meighan as a UCLA 
Department of Anthropology and Sociology field school to salvage 
information from portions of the site that were to be lost due to 
highway widening. This collection was curated at UCLA after analysis 
was complete. Thomas King also conducted excavations at the site in 
1970 with volunteers, and these artifacts were curated at UCLA after 
analysis as well. The excavations occurred on lands belonging to the 
California Department of Parks and Recreation. Arroyo Sequit is also 
recorded as the village of Lisiqshi with a radiocarbon date of A.D. 610 
+/-100, placing occupation in the Late Period through Spanish contact. 
No formal burials were curated at UCLA, but fragmentary human remains 
were identified from midden contexts totaling 31 individuals from the 
1954 excavations, of which 21 were distinguished as adult, 7 as 
infants, and 2 as juvenile. One individual could not be aged and none 
of the human remains could be identified to sex. Human remains from the 
1970 excavations represent a minimum of 9 individuals (4 adults, 2 
juveniles, and 3 unidentified). Since most the human remains are single 
elements, none could be attributed to sex. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects were identified.
    In 1970 and 1971, human remains representing, at minimum, 220 
individuals were removed from Humaliwu (CA-LAN-264) in Malibu, Los 
Angeles County, CA. Nelson N. Leonard obtained permission to have a 
UCLA Anthropology field course, which included excavation of the 
historic cemetery on California Department of Parks and Recreation 
property. Collections were accessioned at UCLA as they returned from 
the field. The village dates from A.D. 550-1805. The excavations 
identified 159 formal burials as well as additional fragmentary human 
remains from midden contexts. In total, a minimum of 220 individuals 
were identified (130 adults, 39 juveniles, 35 infants, 3 neonates, 5 
perinates, and 8 unidentified), of which 20 adults were distinguishable 
as males and 16 females. No known individuals were identified. The 
54,655 associated funerary objects include 1,192 fragments, lumps, and 
plugs of

[[Page 4658]]

asphaltum; 15 bags of asphaltum many with basketry, wood, and fabric 
impressions; 366 pieces and 14 bags of unmodified animal bone; 17 
pieces of worked bone; 2 pieces of ceramic; 27 fragments and 1 bag of 
charcoal; 1 glass pendant; 2 cordage fragments; 56 whole and fragmented 
shells; 264 worked shell objects; 29 bags of soil samples; 1 shell and 
11 copper buttons; 51,849 individual stone, shell, and glass beads; 1 
copper cup; 1 apothecary jar; 2 leather fragments; 2 possible plaster 
fragments; 77 pieces and 1 bag of ochre; 1 bag and 136 wood fragments; 
31 metal objects; 1 bag of iron fragments; 8 comal fragments; 1 
steatite bowl; 30 bowl fragments; 361 chipped stone flakes and tools; 
97 ground stone tools; and 58 stone fragments.
    In 1983, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual was 
removed from CA-LAN-454 near Point Dume, Los Angeles, CA. Doug 
Armstrong and a UCLA Archaeological Survey crew conducted excavations 
on land owned by the California State Parks and Recreation. At some 
unknown time, a burial was loaned to the Natural History Museum of Los 
Angeles County for display. The museum returned the burial in 2000. The 
site dates from A.D. 0 to 800. The burial represents an adult female. 
No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects 
were distinguished.
    In 1981, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual was 
removed from CA-LAN-1111, near Corral Canyon, Los Angeles County, CA. 
Fred Ghiradelli led excavations for the State Department of Beaches and 
Parks at this prehistoric village site. After analysis, the collection 
was accessioned at UCLA. A single human phalanx was removed from the 
surface represented an individual of unknown age or sex. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects were 
identified.
    In the summer of 1967, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from Big Sycamore Canyon (CA-VEN-89) in 
Ventura County, CA. The site was excavated by Chester King and a 
University of California (UC) Archaeological Survey crew on land owned 
by the California State Parks in preparation for the construction of 
recreational facilities that would impact the site. The collection was 
accessioned at UCLA after analysis. The site is estimated to date to 
the Late Period (A.D. 700-1869) through Spanish contact, as the site 
was recorded as the village of Shuwalashu. Fragmentary human remains 
represent two adult individuals of unknown sex. No known individuals 
were identified. No associated funerary objects were identified.
    In 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual was 
removed from CA-VEN-101 in Ventura County, CA. Nelson N. Leonard and a 
UC Archaeological Survey crew excavated the site as part of a larger 
survey project in the La Jolla Valley at Point Mugu State Park. The 
collection was curated at UCLA upon completion of analysis. The site 
dates from A.D. 200-400. Two human bone elements from a shell midden 
represent a single adult individual of unknown sex. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects were 
identified.
    The sites detailed in this notice have been identified through 
tribal consultation to be within the traditional territory of the 
Chumash people. These locations are consistent with ethnographic and 
historic documentation of the Chumash people.
    The Chumash territory, anthropologically defined first on the basis 
of linguistic similarities, and subsequently on broadly shared material 
and cultural traits, reaches from San Luis Obispo to Malibu on the 
coast, inland to the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley, to the 
edge of the San Fernando Valley, and includes the four Northern Channel 
Islands. At the southern and southeastern boundaries of the territory 
there is evidence of the physical co-existence of Chumash, Tataviam, 
and Gabrielino/Tongva languages and beliefs systems. At the northern 
boundary of the territory there is evidence of the physical co-
existence of Chumash and Salinan groups. The sites in this notice are 
located in northwestern Los Angeles County and Ventura County and fall 
within the geographical area identified as Chumash. Some tribal 
consultants state that these areas were the responsibility of regional 
leaders, who were themselves organized into a pan-regional association 
of both political power and ceremonial knowledge. Further, these 
indigenous areas are identified by some tribal consultants to be 
relational with clans or associations of traditional practitioners of 
specific kinds of indigenous medicinal and ceremonial practices. Some 
tribal consultants identified these clans as existing in the pre-
contact period and identified some clans as also existing in the 
present day. Other tribal consultants do not recognize present-day 
geographical divisions to be related to clans of traditional 
practitioners. However, they do state that Chumash, Tataviam, and 
Gabrielino/Tongva territories were and are occupied by socially 
distinct, yet interrelated, groups which have been characterized by 
anthropologists. Ethnographic evidence suggests that the social and 
political organization of the pre-contact Channel Islands were 
primarily at the village level, with a hereditary chief, in addition to 
many other specialists who wielded power.
    The associated funerary objects described in this notice are 
consistent with those of groups ancestral to the present-day Chumash, 
Tataviam, and Gabrielino/Tongva. The material cultures of earlier 
groups living in the geographical areas mentioned in this notice are 
characterized by archeologists as having passed through stages over the 
past 10,000 years. Many local archeologists assert that the changes in 
the material culture reflect evolving ecological adaptations and 
related changes in social organization of the same populations and do 
not represent population displacements or movements. The same range of 
artifact types and materials were used from the early pre-contact 
period until historic times. Tribal consultants explicitly state that 
population mixing, which did occur on a small scale, would not alter 
the continuity of the shared group identities of people associated with 
specific locales. Based on this evidence, continuity through time can 
be traced for all sites listed in this notice with present-day Chumash 
people, specifically the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of 
the Santa Ynez Reservation, California.

Determinations Made by the California Department of Parks and 
Recreation

    Officials of the California Department of Parks and Recreation have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 265 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 54,655 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 Santa 
Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, 
California.

[[Page 4659]]

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 Leslie Hartzell, Ph.D., NAGPRA Coordinator, 
Cultural Resources Division Chief, California State Parks, P.O. Box 
942896, Sacramento, CA 94296-0001, telephone (916) 653-9946, email 
[email protected], by February 26, 2016. After that date, if 
no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to Santa Ynez Band of 
Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California, may 
proceed.
    The California Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible 
for notifying the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the 
Santa Ynez Reservation, California, that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: December 21, 2015.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-01595 Filed 1-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-50-P