[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8102-8103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03753]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0024985; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Utah Museum of Natural History, 
Salt Lake City, UT

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Utah Museum of Natural History 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 Utah Museum of Natural History. 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 Utah Museum of Natural History at the 
address in this notice by March 26, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Michelle Knoll, Utah Museum of Natural History, 301 Wakara 
Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, telephone (801) 581-3876, 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 Utah Museum of 
Natural History, Salt Lake City, UT. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from 42GA34 (Coombs Village), Garfield 
County, UT.
    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 Utah 
Museum of Natural History professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Paiute Indian 
Tribe of Utah (Cedar Band of Paiutes, Kanosh Band of Paiutes, Koosharem 
Band of Paiutes, Indian Peaks Band of Paiutes, and Shivwits Band of 
Paiutes (formerly Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (Cedar City Band of 
Paiutes, Kanosh Band of Paiutes, Koosharem Band of Paiutes, Indian 
Peaks Band of Paiutes, and Shivwits Band of Paiutes)), hereafter 
referred to as ``The Consulted Tribes.'' Requests for consultation were 
also sent to the Havasupai Tribe of the Havasupai Reservation, Arizona; 
Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation, Arizona; 
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, 
Arizona; Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian 
Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian 
Reservation, Nevada; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah; 
Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Zia, New Mexico; San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona; and the 
Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico, (hereafter referred to 
as ``The Invited Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1958 and 1959, human remains representing 37 individuals were 
removed by the University of Utah from privately-owned land in the town 
of Boulder, Garfield County, UT. One additional set of human remains 
and associated funerary objects were excavated by the University of 
Utah in 1969 after the property had been transferred to the State of 
Utah. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
transferred from the University of Utah to the Utah Museum of Natural 
History in 1973. All of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects are currently in the possession of Anasazi State Park, but 
under the control of the Utah Museum of Natural History. Individual 
ages range from newborns to elderly and consist of both sexes. No known 
individuals were identified. The 97 associated funerary objects are 57 
ceramic vessels, 12 lots ceramic sherds, 5 minerals, 5 lots debitage, 4 
beads, 4 pendants, 4 chipped stone tools, 2 bone awls, 1 beaded 
necklace, 1 beaded bracelet, 1 seed, and 1 faunal bone. The majority of 
the ceramics were identified as Kayenta Branch Puebloan.
    Coombs Village (42GA34) is an Ancestral Puebloan village site 
occupied circa A.D. 1070-1250. Most of the archeological lines of 
evidence clearly indicate a Kayenta Branch Puebloan occupation. The 
Kayenta Branch Puebloan are generally recognized as an Ancestral 
Puebloan group with direct ties to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona. The 
biological data from Coombs Village strongly supports this conclusion. 
The culture history line of evidence using linguistics is inconclusive 
and the Indian Claims Commission did not recognize the Eastern Plateaus 
district as the aboriginal homeland of the Hopi. However, migration 
evidence to and from this region using Hopi oral history and 
archeological evidence of Kayenta Branch Puebloan and Hopi presence in 
the region in the PIV period support a proposed shared group identity 
between the Kayenta Branch Puebloan occupants of Coombs Village and the 
Hopi Tribe of

[[Page 8103]]

Arizona. Thus, the physical and culture history lines of evidence both 
support the Hopi Tribe of Arizona's claim of cultural affiliation. A 
draft cultural affiliation report was issued to The Consulted Tribes 
for their review and comments prior to any determination of cultural 
affiliation.

Determinations Made by the Utah Museum of Natural History

    Officials of the Utah Museum of Natural History have determined 
that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 38 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the ninety-seven 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 a 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 Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona.

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 Michelle Knoll, Utah Museum of Natural 
History, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, telephone (801) 581-
3876, email [email protected], by March 26, 2018. After that date, 
if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona may proceed.
    The Utah Museum of Natural History is responsible for notifying The 
Consulted Tribes and The Invited Tribes that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: February 2, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-03753 Filed 2-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P