[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41989-41990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15244]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-21274; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: History Colorado, formerly 
Colorado Historical Society, Denver, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: History Colorado, formerly Colorado Historical Society, 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 
request to History Colorado. 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 History Colorado 
at the address in this notice by July 28, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Sheila Goff, NAGPRA Liaison, History Colorado, 1200 
Broadway, Denver, CO 80203, telephone (303) 866-4531, 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 History Colorado, Denver, CO. Seven sets of human 
remains were received from the Montezuma County Coroner. They were 
recovered from the vicinity of Cortez or Mancos, 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 History 
Colorado professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa Tribe 
of Oklahoma; 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 Laguna, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New 
Mexico; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Indian 
Reservation, Colorado; Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (previously listed as the 
Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New 
Mexico & Utah); and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas (previously listed 
as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas). The Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, 
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation, South Dakota; 
Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; and the Zuni Tribe 
of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico were invited to consult, but did 
not participate. Hereafter, all tribes listed above are referred to as 
``The Consulted and Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the vicinity of Cortez, CO, by an 8 year 
old boy. As an adult, in August 2015, he relinquished them to the 
Montezuma County Coroner, who ruled out a forensic interest. The human 
remains were transferred to the Office of the State Archaeologist 
(OSAC) in October 2015, where they were assigned Office of Archaeology 
and Historic Preservation (OAHP) Case Number 311. Osteological analysis 
conducted at Metropolitan State University indicates that the human 
remains represent a child and subadult and are likely of Native 
American ancestry. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, five 
individuals were removed from an unknown place, possibly in the 
vicinity of Mancos, CO. The human remains were discovered in the estate 
of a deceased man. In November 2015, the son of the man turned them 
over to the Montezuma County Coroner, who ruled out forensic interest. 
In February 2016, the human remains were transferred to the Office of 
the State Archaeologist, where they were assigned Office of Archaeology 
and Historic Preservation (OAHP) Case Number 313. Osteological analysis 
at Metropolitan State University indicates that the human remains 
represent two adult females, two children and one male and are likely 
of Native American ancestry. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    History Colorado, in partnership with the Colorado Commission of 
Indian Affairs, Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute 
Reservation, Colorado, and the Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah, conducted tribal 
consultations among the tribes with ancestral ties to the State of 
Colorado to develop the process for disposition of culturally 
unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects originating from inadvertent discoveries on Colorado State and 
private lands. As a result of the consultation, a process was 
developed, the Process for Consultation, Transfer, and Reburial of 
Culturally Unidentifiable Native American Human Remains and Associated 
Funerary Objects Originating From Inadvertent Discoveries on Colorado 
State and Private Lands (2008, unpublished, on file with the Colorado 
Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation). The tribes consulted 
are those who have expressed their wishes to be notified of discoveries 
in the Southwest Region as established by the Process, where these 
individuals appear to have originated.
    The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 
Committee (Review Committee) is responsible for recommending specific 
actions for disposition of culturally

[[Page 41990]]

unidentifiable human remains. On November 3-4, 2006, the Process was 
presented to the Review Committee for consideration. A January 8, 2007, 
letter on behalf of the Review Committee from the Designated Federal 
Officer transmitted the provisional authorization to proceed with the 
Process upon receipt of formal responses from the Jicarilla Apache 
Nation, New Mexico, and the Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, subject to 
forthcoming conditions imposed by the Secretary of the Interior. On May 
15-16, 2008, the responses from the Jicarilla Apache Nation, New 
Mexico, and the Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma were submitted to the 
Review Committee. On September 23, 2008, the Assistant Secretary for 
Fish and Wildlife and Parks, as the designee for the Secretary of the 
Interior, transmitted the authorization for the disposition of 
culturally unidentifiable human remains according to the Process and 
NAGPRA, pending publication of a Notice of Inventory Completion in the 
Federal Register. This notice fulfills that requirement.
    43 CFR 10.11 was promulgated on March 15, 2010, to provide a 
process for the disposition of culturally unidentifiable Native 
American human remains recovered from tribal or aboriginal lands as 
established by the final judgment of the Indian Claims Commission or 
U.S. Court of Claims, a treaty, Act of Congress, or Executive Order, or 
other authoritative governmental sources. As there is no evidence 
indicating that the human remains reported in this notice originated 
from tribal or aboriginal lands, they are eligible for disposition 
under the Process.

Determinations Made by History Colorado

    Officials of History Colorado have determined that:
     Based on osteological analysis, the human remains are 
Native American.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of seven 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.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(2)(ii) and the Process, the 
disposition of the human remains may be to the Southern Ute Indian 
Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado, and the Ute Mountain 
Tribe of the Ute Mountain 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 Sheila Goff, NAGPRA Liaison, History 
Colorado, 1200 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203, telephone (303) 866-4531, 
email [email protected], by July 28, 2016. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute 
Reservation, Colorado, and the Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah may proceed.
    History Colorado is responsible for notifying The Consulted and 
Invited Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: June 8, 2016.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-15244 Filed 6-27-16; 8:45 am]
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