[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 113 (Wednesday, June 14, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27283-27284]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12290]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-23331; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Michigan, Ann 
Arbor, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The University of Michigan 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 University of Michigan. 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 University of Michigan at the address in 
this notice by July 14, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Ben Secunda, NAGPRA Project Manager, University of 
Michigan, Office of Research, 4080 Fleming Building, 503 Thompson 
Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1340, telephone (734) 647-9085, 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 University of 
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from the Backlund Mound Group site (20ME2), 
Menominee County, MI.
    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 
University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology (UMMAA) 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin; 
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of 
Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin; 
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan (previously listed 
as the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); and Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, 
Michigan and Indiana (hereafter ``The Consulted Tribes'').
    Additional requests for consultation were sent to the Bad River 
Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River 
Reservation, Wisconsin; Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's 
Reservation, Montana; Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma; Fond du Lac 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Forest County 
Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Leech 
Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Mille Lacs Band 
of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Prairie Band of Potawatomi 
Nation, Kansas; Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, 
California and Arizona; Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota; St. 
Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, 
Wisconsin; Turtle

[[Page 27284]]

Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota; White Earth Band of 
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; and Winnebago Tribe of 
Nebraska (hereafter ``The Tribes Invited to Consult'').

History and Description of the Remains

    In the summer of 1956, human remains representing, at minimum, 20 
individuals were removed from the Backlund Mound Group site (20ME2) in 
Menominee County, MI. Archeologists from the UMMAA excavated three low, 
conical mounds on the bank of the Menominee River. Two features within 
one of the mounds held human remains and funerary objects. In one 
feature, the human remains consist of 1 child, 4-8 years old, sex 
indeterminate, and an infant, sex indeterminate. Another feature within 
the mound, described as a rock-capped ossuary, held the human remains 
of, at minimum, 18 individuals. The human remains consist of 1 older 
adult, possibly female; 1 adult female over 50 years old; 4 adult males 
over 50 years old; 1 adult female over 40 years old; 1 adult male, 30-
50 years old; 1 adult male, 35-49 years old; 1 adult male, 30-40 years 
old; 1 young adult, possibly male, 20-35 years old; 1 adult male, age 
indeterminate; 1 young adult female, 20-25 years old; 1 adolescent, 11-
14 years old, sex indeterminate; 1 child, 8-10 years old, sex 
indeterminate; 1 child, age and sex indeterminate; 1 neonate; and 1 
cremated adult. One lot of DNA extractions, taken from the human 
remains in this collection between 1996 and 2006, are also included in 
this notice. The burials have been dated to the Late Woodland Period 
(A.D. 1350, +/-110 years) based on Carbon 14 analysis of charcoal from 
the site. No known individuals were identified. Three associated 
funerary objects found in the mound fill are one copper spear point; 
one perforated long bone fragment, possibly deer; and one lot of beak 
fragments from a female eagle.
    The human remains have been determined to be Native American, based 
on cranial morphology and dental traits. A relationship of shared group 
identity can be reasonably traced between the Native American human 
remains from this site and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, 
based on multiple lines of evidence. The mode of burial, specifically 
ossuary burial within a conical mound, suggests a merging of practices 
between the large ossuary burials recorded at late pre-contact sites in 
the northern Great Lakes area and earlier practices of mound burial 
observed among northern forager groups. The ceramic assemblage 
collected from contemporary midden deposits identified at the site is 
strongly suggestive of Algonquian origin. The site is located within 
the aboriginal lands of the Menominee as described in traditional and 
historical accounts, and at a date that makes these descriptions 
relevant.

Determinations Made by the University of Michigan

    Officials of the University of Michigan have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 20 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 3 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 
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.

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 Dr. Ben Secunda, NAGPRA Project Manager, 
University of Michigan, Office of Research, 4080 Fleming Building, 503 
Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1340, telephone (734) 647-9085, 
email [email protected], by July 14, 2017. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Menominee Indian 
Tribe of Wisconsin may proceed.
    The University of Michigan is responsible for notifying The 
Consulted Tribes and The Tribes Invited to Consult that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: April 28, 2017.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017-12290 Filed 6-13-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P