[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 237 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89139-89140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29536]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-22485; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Wisconsin Historical Society, 
Madison, WI, and Lawrence University, Appleton, WI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Wisconsin Historical Society and Lawrence University 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 Wisconsin Historical 
Society. 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 Wisconsin Historical Society at the 
address in this notice by January 9, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Jennifer Kolb, Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State 
Street, Madison, WI 53706, telephone (608) 264-6434, 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 Wisconsin 
Historical Society, Madison, WI, and in the physical custody of 
Lawrence University, Appleton, WI. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from the Rock Island II site, Door 
County, WI.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative

[[Page 89140]]

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 
Wisconsin Historical Society and Lawrence University professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Forest County Potawatomi 
Community, Wisconsin; the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin; the Lac du 
Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau 
Reservation of Wisconsin; the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 
Indians, Michigan; and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.

History and Description of the Remains

    Between 1968 and 1973, human remains representing, at minimum, 12 
individuals were removed from the Rock Island II site in Door County, 
WI. During that time period, extensive excavations of the southwestern 
portion of the island were conducted by Lawrence University under the 
direction of archaeologist Ronald Mason. One component of the site was 
an early historic Native American village and associated cemetery 
located in the eastern portion of the site and used between 1760 and 
1770. Excavation of the cemetery uncovered fourteen burials with 
remains representing twelve individuals, including an adult male, an 
adult female, and ten juveniles all under the age of twelve, and their 
associated funerary objects; two burials no longer contained remains 
but did contain funerary objects. The remains and most of the 
associated funerary objects are currently in the physical custody of 
Lawrence University, but under the control of the Wisconsin Historical 
Society as the Rock Island II site is located on state land. No known 
individuals were identified. The 228 associated funerary objects are 14 
lots of wood fragments from coffins, 20 lots of beads, 3 samples of red 
ochre, 2 spoons, 2 samples of vermilion, 1 polished pebble, 7 brass 
trade kettles, 3 unidentifiable objects, 1 cut and polished shell, 1 
lot of silver brooches, 18 individual brooches, 6 silver brooches 
attached to a fabric fragment, 10 earrings, 1 bell or cup, 3 pendants, 
1 wooden paint box, 1 perforated elk tooth, 1 lot of tinklers, 5 
individual tinklers, 1 thimble, 10 lots of textile fragments, 1 silver 
cross, 4 armbands, 5 knives, 1 lot of burned faunal remains, 3 
firesteels, 2 awls, 1 catlinite pipe, 2 necklaces, 7 Jesuit rings, 2 
samples of charred organic materials, 1 musket, 1 French perfume 
bottle, 6 gunflints, 1 musket ball, 4 pieces of shot, 2 hairpullers, 1 
mirror in shards, 1 sheet of folded brass, 1 kettle handle, 1 pipe 
tomahawk head, 1 lot of nails, 1 lot of bird bone tubes, 1 lot of 
antler fragments, 2 bells, 8 scraps of brass, 8 pieces of brass wire, 1 
piece of cut iron, 1 piece of lead, 2 pieces of worked wood, 3 silver 
cylinders, 1 embellished antler tine, 1 carved stone, 2 pot sherds, 20 
flint chips, 1 bone comb, 2 ear ornaments, 1 hafted iron ax, 1 cup, 1 
French pistol, 2 brass bells, 8 bracelets, 1 limestone cobble, and 1 
plaque.
    The Rock Island II site is a multi-component site that was 
episodically occupied starting in the Middle Woodland period. Mason 
identified four phases of early historic Native American occupation. He 
attributed the occupation associated with the village and cemetery to 
the Odawa due, in part, to the 1766 account of Jonathan Carver, a 
European-American, of spending time with the Odawa there. One of the 
burials in the cemetery was partially cremated, which Mason noted was 
uncommon in the Great Lakes region during this period, but accounts 
from this time referenced this practice among several clans of the 
Odawa and one Potawatomi clan. According to evidence provided by the 
Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians in Michigan, the village and 
associated cemetery were Odawa, with some Menominee, Ojibwe, and 
Potawatomi individuals living there because of intermarriage.

Determinations Made by the Wisconsin Historical Society

    Officials of the Wisconsin Historical Society have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 12 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 228 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 Bad 
River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad 
River Reservation, Wisconsin; the Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; 
the Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; the Grand Traverse 
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; the Hannahville Indian 
Community, Michigan; the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, the Lac Courte 
Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; the Lac 
du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du 
Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan; the Little River Band of Ottawa 
Indians, Michigan; the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan; the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of 
Michigan; the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin; the Nottawaseppi 
Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan (previously listed as the Huron 
Potawatomi, Inc.); the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and 
Indiana; the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
Wisconsin; the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault Ste. 
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan; the Sokaogon Chippewa 
Community, Wisconsin; and the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin 
(hereto referred to as the Culturally Affiliated Tribes).

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 Jennifer Kolb, Wisconsin Historical Society, 
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706, telephone (608) 264-6434, email 
[email protected], by January 9, 2017. After that 
date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of 
control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
Culturally Affiliated Tribes may proceed.
    The Wisconsin Historical Society is responsible for notifying the 
Culturally Affiliated Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: November 28, 2016.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-29536 Filed 12-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P