[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12122-12124]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05062]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-20265; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Nageezi, 
NM

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 
Chaco Culture National Historical Park has completed an inventory of 
human

[[Page 12123]]

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 associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian 
tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 Chaco 
Culture National Historical Park. 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 these human remains and associated funerary 
objects should submit a written request with information in support of 
the request to Chaco Culture National Historical Park at the address in 
this notice by April 7, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Lawrence Turk, Superintendent, Chaco Culture National 
Historical Park, P.O. Box 220, Nageezi, NM 87307, telephone (505) 786-
7014, 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 U.S. Department of 
the Interior, National Park Service, Chaco Culture National Historical 
Park, Nageezi, NM. The human remains and associated funerary objects 
were removed from unknown locations within a 100 mile radius of 
Shiprock, NM.
    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 
Superintendent, Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Chaco 
Culture National Historical Park professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache 
Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero 
Reservation, New Mexico; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; 
Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (previously listed as the Pueblo of San 
Juan); Pueblo of Acoma, 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 
Felipe, 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; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute 
Reservation, Colorado; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 
Mexico (hereafter referred to as ``The Consulted Tribes'').
    The following tribes were contacted but did not participate in the 
face-to-face consultation meetings: Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River 
Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma (previously 
listed as the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma); Kewa Pueblo, New 
Mexico (previously listed as the Pueblo of Santo Domingo); Pueblo of 
Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; San 
Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Tonto 
Apache Tribe of Arizona; Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah; White Mountain Apache Tribe 
of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo 
(previously listed as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas), (hereafter 
referred to as ``The Invited Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    Between 1928 and 1938, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from unknown locations within a radius of one 
hundred miles of Shiprock, NM, by Harold H. Harkness, of Escondido, CA. 
The human remains were taken into the custody of Chaco Canyon National 
Monument in 1938. No known individuals were identified. The eight 
associated funerary objects are one textile, two wooden combs, one 
wooden duck effigy, one horn artifact, one worked shell artifact, one 
bone artifact, and one leather artifact.
    Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.16, the Secretary of the Interior may make a 
recommendation for a transfer of control of culturally unidentifiable 
human remains and associated funerary objects. In September 2015, Chaco 
Culture National Historical Park requested that the Secretary, through 
the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 
Committee, recommend the proposed transfer of control of the culturally 
unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Navajo 
Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah. The Review Committee, acting 
pursuant to its responsibility under 25 U.S.C. 3006(c)(5), considered 
the request at its November 2015 meeting and recommended to the 
Secretary that the proposed transfer of control proceed. A January 2016 
letter on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior from the Associate 
Director, Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science transmitted the 
Secretary's independent review and concurrence with the Review 
Committee that:
     None of The Consulted Tribes objected to the proposed 
transfer of control and
     Chaco Culture National Historical Park may proceed with 
the agreed upon transfer of control of the culturally unidentifiable 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona and the Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah.
    Transfer of control is contingent on the publication of a Notice of 
Inventory Completion in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that 
requirement.

Determinations Made by Chaco Culture National Historical Park

    Officials of Chaco Culture National Historical Park have determined 
that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on osteological analysis.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of two individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the eight 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. The National Park Service intends 
to convey the associated funerary objects to the tribes pursuant to 54 
U.S.C. 102503(g) through (i) and 54 U.S.C 102504.
     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 associated funerary objects and any present-day 
Indian tribe.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.16, the disposition of the human 
remains and associated funerary objects will be to the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona and the Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah.

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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 and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Lawrence 
Turk, Superintendent, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, P.O. Box 
220, Nageezi, NM 87307, telephone (505) 786-7014, email 
[email protected], by April 7, 2016. After that date, if no additional 
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 
and associated funerary objects to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the 
Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah may proceed.
    Chaco Culture National Historical Park is responsible for notifying 
The Consulted Tribes and The Invited Tribes that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: February 4, 2016.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-05062 Filed 3-7-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P