[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37108-37109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16624]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-23595; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Defense, Army 
Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, Nashville, TN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, 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 no cultural 
affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects 
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 and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville 
District. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control 
of the human remains and associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary 
objects should submit a written request with information in support of 
the request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, at 
the address in this notice by September 7, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Valerie McCormack, Archaeologist, Department of Defense, 
Nashville District, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Nashville District, 110 9th Avenue South, Room A-405, Nashville, TN 
37203, telephone (615) 736-7847, 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 U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Nashville District, Nashville, TN. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects were removed from Lyon County, KY.
    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 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 U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, and the St. Louis 
District's Mandatory Center for Expertise for the Curation and 
Management of Archaeological Collections (MCX-CMAC) professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of 
Indians of Oklahoma, Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, 
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Shawnee Tribe, The Chickasaw Nation, 
The Osage Nation (previously listed as the Osage Tribe), and United 
Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1959, human remains representing, at minimum, 128 individuals 
were removed from the Tinsley Hill Cemetery site (15LY18b). The remains 
include 21 adult males, 5 adult probable males, 20 adult females, 6 
adult probable females, 27 adults of indeterminate sex, 29 subadults, 
19 infants, and 1 individual of indeterminate age and sex. No known 
individuals were identified. The 478 associated funerary objects are 
271 pottery sherds, 5 burned clay, 2 projectile points, 11 chipped 
stone tool fragments, 2 stone drill fragment, 2 stone cores, 1 stone 
celt, 1 flint chisel, 38 debitage, 2 quartz, 1 sandstone, 24 UID stone, 
20 cannel coal, 1 splinter bone awl, 1 worked antler tip, 2 deer teeth, 
1 elk tooth, 8 UID bone, 9 pieces of shell, 17 shells, 9 pieces of 
charcoal, 1 mica, 3 red ochre, 3 crinoids, 1 fossil coral, 19 iron 
nails, 5 pieces of iron, 1 metal carpet tack, 2 plastic buttons, 13 
ceramics, 1 brown glass, and 1 lead.
    In 1960 and 1962, human remains representing, at minimum, nine 
individuals were removed from site 15LY18a, the Tinsley Hill Village. 
Berle Clay of the University of Kentucky excavated the village area of 
the site in 1960. During this field season, Clay excavated eight 
individuals. In 1962, he returned to the site and removed a ninth 
individual from the village area. Information on the excavations can be 
found in the publications ``Excavations at Tinsley Hill Village, 1960'' 
and ``Tinsley Hill Village, 1962'' by Clay. The nine individuals are 
infants. No known individuals were identified. The 7 associated 
funerary objects are 3 pottery sherds, 1 broken antler tip drilled 
lengthwise through the base, and 3 faunal fragments.
    The University of Kentucky undertook excavations at Tinsley Hill 
with funds provided by the National Park Service under the River Basins 
Archaeological Salvage Program. The work occurred prior to the 
inundation of Lake Barkley. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects have been in the physical custody of the Webb Museum, 
University of Kentucky, since excavation, but under the control of the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
    In the winter and spring of 1958, Douglas W. Schwartz and Tacoma G. 
Sloan identified site 15LY18 as the only large Mississippian site below 
Lake Barkley's inundation pool. The site covered approximately 20 acres 
and contained two mounds, a village area, and a stone box cemetery.

Determinations Made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville 
District

    Officials of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, 
have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on the archeological context.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 137 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 485 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), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day 
Indian Tribe.
     Treaties, Acts of Congress, or Executive Orders, indicate 
that the land from which the Native American human remains were removed 
is the aboriginal land of the Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Indians, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of human 
remains from site 15LY18 may be jointly to the Cherokee Nation, Eastern 
Band of Cherokee Indians, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians 
in Oklahoma.

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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 and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to: Dr. 
Valerie McCormack, Archaeologist, Department of Defense, Nashville 
District, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville 
District, 110 9th Avenue South, Room A-405, Nashville, TN 37203, 
telephone (615) 736-7847, email [email protected], by 
September 7, 2017. After that date, if no additional requestors have 
come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee 
Indians, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma may 
proceed.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District is responsible 
for notifying the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, 
Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Eastern Shawnee 
Tribe of Oklahoma, Shawnee Tribe, The Chickasaw Nation, The Osage 
Nation, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma that 
this notice has been published.

    Dated: June 19, 2017.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017-16624 Filed 8-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P