[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8101-8102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03756]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0025008; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Valley Authority, 
Knoxville, TN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has completed an 
inventory of human remains 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 any present-
day Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. 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 TVA. If no additional requestors 
come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 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 should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to TVA at the 
address in this notice by March 26, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Thomas O. Maher, TVA, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT11D, 
Knoxville, TN 37902-1401, telephone (865) 632-7458, 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 TVA. The human remains were removed from the following 
archeological sites in Lauderdale County, AL: 1LU15, 1LU18, 1LU114, 
1LU275, 1LU276, and 1LU277.
    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. The National Park Service 
is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by TVA 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-Coushatta Tribe 
of Texas (previously listed as the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas); 
Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town; Cherokee Nation; Coushatta Tribe of 
Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Kialegee Tribal Town; Poarch Band of Creeks (previously 
listed as the Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama); Shawnee Tribe; 
The Chickasaw Nation; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation 
of Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

History and Description of the Remains

    On an unknown date after April of 1982, human remains representing, 
at minimum, 10 individuals were removed from sites 1LU15, 1LU18, 
1LU114, 1LU275, 1LU276, and 1LU277 in Lauderdale County, AL. In 1981, 
the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) entered into a contract with 
Auburn University for a survey of the cultural resources on Seven Mile 
Island and adjacent Coffee Slough. This area is part of the Seven Mile 
Island Archeological District which is on the National Register of 
Historic Places. Natural erosion exacerbated by persistent looting 
raised questions regarding the condition of the sites on the island, 
which had not been professionally surveyed since the 1930s. Fieldwork 
took place from mid-December of 1981 to mid-April of 1982. Details 
regarding this survey may be found in a report, The Archaeology of 
Seven Mile Island: A Cultural Resource Survey of the National Register 
District, Volume 1 & 2, by Gregory A. Waselkov and Robert T. Morgan.
    Sometime after the fieldwork, TVA was notified that erosion and 
looting had exposed human remains along the shoreline of the island. At 
TVA's request, archeologists from Auburn University removed these human 
remains and curated them at the University. Human remains representing 
one individual each were collected from the surface of sites 1LU15, 
1LU18, 1LU114, 1LU276, and 1LU277. Human remains representing four 
individuals were excavated from an eroding shoreline of site 1LU275. 
Human remains representing one individual were collected from a south 
beach surface collection unit between 1LU276 and 1LU277. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.

Determinations Made by the Tennessee Valley Authority

    Officials of TVA have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on osteological analysis and 
archeological context.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 10 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 any present-day Indian Tribe.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the 
Native American human remains were removed is the aboriginal land of 
Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and United Keetoowah 
Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
     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 Chickasaw Nation.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any federally recognized Indian Tribe 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 Dr. Thomas O. Maher, TVA, 400 West Summit 
Hill Drive, WT11D,

[[Page 8102]]

Knoxville, TN 37902-1401, telephone (865) 632-7458, email 
[email protected], by March 26, 2018. After that date, if no additional 
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 
to the Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, The Chickasaw 
Nation, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma may 
proceed.
    TVA is responsible for notifying the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of 
Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (previously 
listed as the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Alabama-Quassarte 
Tribal Town; Cherokee Nation; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern 
Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Kialegee 
Tribal Town; Poarch Band of Creeks (previously listed as the Poarch 
Band of Creek Indians of Alabama); Shawnee Tribe; The Chickasaw Nation; 
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; 
Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee 
Indians in Oklahoma that this notice has been published.

    Dated: February 6, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-03756 Filed 2-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P