[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17736-17737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07106]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-20401; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Sheriff's Office, Berrien County, 
Saint Joseph, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Sheriff's Office of Berrien County, MI has completed an 
inventory of human remains, 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 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 
should submit a written

[[Page 17737]]

request to the Berrien County Sheriff's Office. If no additional 
requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 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 should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to the Berrien 
County Sheriff's Office at the address in this notice by April 29, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Berrien County Sheriff's Office, Attention Chief Deputy 
Michael Bradley, 919 Port Street, Saint Joseph, MI 49085, 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 under 
the control of the Berrien County Sheriff's Office. The human remains 
were removed from Galien River in New Buffalo, MI.
    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 Berrien County Sheriff's office and the Michigan State 
University Anthropology Department professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of 
Oklahoma; Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians 
of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin; Bay Mills Indian Community, 
Michigan; Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
Minnesota; Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, 
Montana (previously listed as the Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky 
Boy's Reservation, Montana); Citizen Potowatomi Nation, Oklahoma; 
Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Fond du 
Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Forest County 
Potowatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Grand Traverse Band of the Ottawa and the 
Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; Ho-
Chunk Nation of Wisconsin; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; 
Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas; 
Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe, Minnesota; Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little 
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish 
Band of Pottowatomi Indians of Michigan; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Mille 
Lacs Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Nottawaseppi 
Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan (previously listed as the Huron 
Potawatomi, Inc.); Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of 
Oklahoma; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; 
Prairie Band of Potowatomi Nation (previously listed as the Prairie 
Band of Potowatomi Nation, Kansas); Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, 
Minnesota; Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Sac and Fox 
Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, Sac and Fox Nation, 
Oklahoma; Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault Ste. Marie 
Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Shawnee Tribe; Sokaogon Chippewa 
Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Turtle 
Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota; White Earth Band of 
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska; and 
the Wyandotte Nation (hereafter The Consulted Tribes).

History and Description of the Remains

    In April 2011, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Galien River in Berrien County, MI. In 
early April of 2011 a minor was fishing in the Galien River in new 
Buffalo Township, MI. After casting into the center of the river the 
youth reeled in what appeared to be a large bone. The youth took the 
bone to his high school science teacher who contacted the Berrien 
County Sheriff's Office.
    The Sheriff's Office's Dive Team responded by searching a section 
of the river approximately eight feet square, where they found 
additional skeletonized human remains. All of the human remains, 
including the original bone found by the minor, were transported to the 
Anthropology Department at Michigan State University and examined by 
Dr. Norman Sauer. The human remains were found to be ``adult 
prehistoric Native American'' of indeterminate gender, and returned to 
the Berrien County Sheriff's Office. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    At the time of the excavation and removal of these human remains, 
the land from which the remains were removed was not the tribal land of 
any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.

Determinations Made by the Berrien County Sheriff's Office

    Officials of the Berrien County Sheriff's Office have determined 
that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on osteological evidence.
     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(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 or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the 
Native American human remains were removed is the aboriginal land of 
The Consulted Tribes
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(2)(i), the disposition of the 
human remains may be to The Consulted Tribes.

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 the Berrien County Sheriff's Office, 
Attention Chief Deputy Michael Bradley, 919 Port Street, Saint Joseph, 
MI 49085, email [email protected] by April 29, 2016.
    After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains to The Consulted Tribes may 
proceed.
    The Berrien County Sheriff's Office is responsible for informing 
The Consulted Tribes that this notice has been published:

    Dated: February 18, 2016.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-07106 Filed 3-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-50-P