[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 47 (Monday, March 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13496-13497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04857]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-23005; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Nebraska State Historical 
Society, Lincoln, NE

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS) has completed an 
inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in 
consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations, and has 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 NSHS. 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

[[Page 13497]]

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 NSHS at the address in this notice by 
April 12, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Rob Bozell, Nebraska State Historical Society, P.O. Box 
82554, Lincoln, NE 68501, telephone (402) 471-4789, 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 Nebraska State 
Historical Society, Lincoln, NE. The human remains were removed from 
the Woodcliff site (25SD31) in Saunders County, NE.
    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 NSHS 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Arapaho 
Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne River Sioux 
Tribe of the Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota; Iowa Tribe of 
Kansas and Nebraska; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne 
Tribe of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Otoe-
Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; and 
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.

History and Description of the Remains

    In April of 2002, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the Woodcliff Archeological Site (25SD31) 
in Saunders County, NE. The human remains, which belong to two adults 
of undetermined age and sex, were removed from two adjacent but 
separate rectangular grave features. The human remains were discovered 
during county road construction. Construction was halted, and the NSHS 
was contacted to remove the human remains. The human remains were 
examined by a physical anthropologist, but are too fragmentary to 
determine biological affinity. No known individuals were identified. 
The 270 associated funerary objects include: Two white clay pipe bowl 
fragments, one ceramic body sherd, one daub, 262 glass trade beads, one 
lot of fragmented leather, one metal knife blade, one metal handle, and 
one lot of copper stained soil. The associated funerary objects date to 
the same time period as a documented Oto village at this location (A.D. 
1750-1770).
    In the late 1960s, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual, were removed from the Woodcliff site (25SD31) in Saunders 
County, NE. The human remains were given to The Valley Community 
Historical Society in Valley, NE, by Darwin Jorgenson. In 2004, The 
Valley Community Historical Society gave the human remains and 
associated funerary objects to the NSHS. The human remains were 
examined by a physical anthropologist, who determined they are most 
likely from a Native American female between 20-24 years of age. The 
594 associated funerary objects include: 556 glass trade beads, one lot 
of coal, one copper ring, three copper bangles, one metal key, one 
copper pot, one unknown metal item with adhering glass beads, four 
unknown metal fragments, 10 pemmican pieces, eight textile fragments, 
two bone or wooden comb fragments, and six wood fragments.
    The Woodcliff Site (25SD31) is a Native American village and 
cemetery complex that was occupied around A.D. 1700-1800 based on the 
archeological material recovered (particularly native-made ceramics and 
Euroamerican trade goods). The ceramics are most similar to Pawnee 
wares, although it is known that the Oto moved to eastern Nebraska in 
the early 1700s, were in close contact with the Pawnee, and made 
Pawnee-like ceramics. By the mid-1700s, the Pawnee were living in a 
series of villages located between 50 and 100 miles to the west of 
Woodcliff, and the Oto were living in the immediate vicinity of the 
Woodcliff area. Human remains and associated funerary objects from the 
Woodcliff Site (25SD31) have previously been repatriated by the NSHS to 
the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma.

Determinations Made by the Nebraska State Historical Society

    Officials of the Nebraska State 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 three individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 864 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 Otoe-
Missouria Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma.

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 should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Rob 
Bozell, Nebraska State Historical Society, P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln, NE 
68501, telephone (402) 471-4789, email [email protected], by 
April 12, 2017. After that date, if no additional requestors have come 
forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Otoe-Missouri 
Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma may proceed.
    The NSHS is responsible for notifying the Arapaho Tribe of the Wind 
River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the Cheyenne 
River Reservation, South Dakota; Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska; 
Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern 
Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians, 
Oklahoma; Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; and Ponca Tribe of Nebraska that 
this notice has been published.

    Dated: February 27, 2017.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017-04857 Filed 3-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P