[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 47 (Monday, March 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13492-13493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04858]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-23006; 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, in consultation with the appropriate Indian 
tribes or Native Hawaiian

[[Page 13493]]

organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation 
between the human remains 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 
should submit a written request to the NSHS. If no additional 
requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 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 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 under 
the control of the Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, NE. The 
human remains were removed from the Linwood site (25BU1) in Butler 
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. 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; Pawnee 
Nation of Oklahoma; and Ponca Tribe of Nebraska.

History and Description of the Remains

    At some time before 1973, human remains representing, at minimum, 
six individuals were removed from the Linwood site (25BU1) in Butler 
County, NE. The human remains are part of a large collection of 
archeological material donated by Alfred Ticacek to the Butler County 
Museum in 1973. In October of 2015, these human remains were discovered 
in storage at the Butler County Museum, and were given to the NSHS on 
October 21, 2015. The human remains were examined by a physical 
anthropologist, who indicated that the human remains are co-mingled, 
and they lack site feature-specific information. Based on crania and 
select post-cranial elements, the human remains represent, at minimum, 
three adults (one male, one female, and one indeterminate with regard 
to sex) and three children (one infant, one individual about 2 years in 
age, and one individual between 8 and 10 years in age). No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    The Linwood Site (25BU1) is a major Pawnee earthlodge village and 
cemetery complex that was occupied during A.D. 1750-1809 and again 
during A.D. 1850-1853. It is associated principally with the Grand and 
Republican bands of the Pawnee Confederacy. The affiliation is clearly 
documented through archeological materials (particularly architecture 
style, ceramic decoration and Euroamerican trade goods), as well as 
archival and historic cartographic sources. Human remains and 
associated funerary objects from the Linwood Site have previously been 
repatriated by the NSHS to the Pawnee Nation of 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 six individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 the Pawnee Tribe of 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 Pawnee Tribe 
of 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; 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. 2017-04858 Filed 3-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P