[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37110-37111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-16626]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-23599; PCU00RP14.R50000-PPWOCRDN0]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC; and University of Nevada, 
Reno, Anthropology Research Museum, Reno, NV

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
and the University of Nevada, Reno, Anthropology Research Museum, 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 Bureau of Indian 
Affairs. 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 Bureau of Indian Affairs at the address 
in this notice by September 7, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Anna Pardo, Museum Program Manager/NAGPRA Coordinator, U.S. 
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 12220 Sunrise 
Valley Drive, Room 6084, Reston, VA 20191, telephone (703) 390-6343, 
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. Department of 
the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and in the 
physical custody of the University of Nevada, Reno, Anthropology 
Research Museum, Reno, NV. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from several sites near Pyramid Lake in Washoe 
County, NV.
    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 U.S. 
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, professional 
staff in consultation with representatives of the Pyramid Lake Paiute 
Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada.

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date in 1968, human remains representing, at minimum, 
one individual were removed by an amateur archeologist from a site 
located one mile east of Needles, at Pyramid Lake in Washoe County, NV. 
The human remains were donated to the Nevada Archaeological Survey 
(NAS) in the same year. NAS later became part of the University of 
Nevada, Reno, Department of Anthropology, where the human remains have 
continued to be housed. The Anthropology Research Museum is part of the 
Department of Anthropology and provides curation. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In April of 1968, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from site 26WA1616, located approximately 50 
yards from the shoreline of Pyramid Lake in Washoe County, NV. The 
human remains were deposited at the University of Nevada, Reno, 
Department of Anthropology. The Anthropology Research Museum is part of 
the Department of Anthropology and provides curation. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown date in 1972, human remains representing, at minimum, 
one individual were removed from site 26WA162, located in the northwest 
corner of Pyramid Lake in Washoe County, NV. The human remains were 
donated to NAS in the same year. NAS later became part of the 
University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Anthropology, where the human 
remains have continued to be housed. The Anthropology Research Museum 
is part of the Department of Anthropology and provides curation. No 
known individual was identified. The five associated funerary objects 
are two quartzite flakes and three animal bones.
    Geographic, historic, and anthropological evidence indicates that 
the human remains from these sites are Native American. The location of 
the burial is within the boundaries of the Pyramid Lake Reservation. 
Historic documents and archeological and consultation evidence, 
including tribal oral history, indicate that this area has been 
occupied by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake 
Reservation, Nevada, since pre-contact times. Based on this evidence, 
the human remains have been determined to be culturally affiliated with 
the

[[Page 37111]]

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada.

Determinations Made by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

    Officials of the Bureau of Indian Affairs 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 five 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 Pyramid 
Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada.

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 Anna Pardo, Museum Program Manager/NAGPRA 
Coordinator, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
12220 Sunrise Valley Drive, Room 6084, Reston, VA 20191, telephone 
(703) 390-6343, 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 
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada, may 
proceed.
    The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for notifying the 
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada, that 
this notice has been published.

    Dated: June 20, 2017.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017-16626 Filed 8-7-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P