[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 72 (Friday, April 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16124-16125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07702]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-25273; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Omaha District, Omaha, NE, and State Archaeological Research Center, 
Rapid City, SD

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District (Omaha 
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 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 Omaha District. 
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 Omaha District at the address in this 
notice by May 14, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Ms. Sandra Barnum, U.S. Army Engineer District, Omaha, ATTN: 
CENWO-PM-AB, 1616 Capital Avenue, Omaha, NE 68102, telephone, (402) 
995-2674, 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

[[Page 16125]]

of human remains and associated funerary objects under the control of 
the U.S. Army Engineer District, Omaha District and in the physical 
custody of the South Dakota State Archaeological Research Center 
(SARC). The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed 
from sites 39WW0003 and 39CA0006 in Walworth and Campbell Counties, SD.
    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 and associated funerary 
objects was made by SARC and Omaha District professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the 
Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1956, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals 
were removed from two features (Feature 2 and Feature 4) at site 
39CA0006, Bamble Site, in Campbell County, SD. Each feature reportedly 
contained the remains of two individuals. The human remains were 
collected by Dr. David A. Baerreis, University of Wisconsin, when 
multiple sites were excavated prior to the creation of the Oahe Dam 
Reservoir. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
originally stored at the University of Wisconsin-Madison until the 
collection was moved to SARC in 2015. An inventory of the collections 
at SARC located human remains and associated funerary objects from 
Feature 4. No human remains from Feature 2 were located. The human 
remains at SARC from Feature 4 total a minimum of four individuals (3 
adults and 1 subadult). No known individuals were identified. The 1,168 
associated funerary objects from Feature 4 include 1 complete ceramic 
vessel, 154 ceramic rim sherds, 877 ceramic body sherds, 1 ceramic 
handle sherd, 3 badland knives, 1 petrified wood badlands knife, 4 
faunal bone awls, 13 unidentifiable faunal bone fragments, 12 faunal 
bone hoes, 4 modified antlers, 10 modified faunal bones, 2 faunal shaft 
wenches, 1 unidentifiable faunal bone, 1 charcoal piece, 3 seed vials, 
2 corn seed vials, 5 biface flakes, 3 biface knives, 1 biface tool, 1 
chert projectile point, 2 chipped stones, 1 chipped stone fragment, 3 
groundstones, 1 groundstone axe, 1 ground stone fragment, 5 
hammerstones, 2 modified flakes, 1 polishing stone, 5 scrapers, 7 shaft 
abraders, 1 uniface flake, 1 brass tinkler, 2 brass tubes, 2 brass 
fragments, 21 gypsum crystals, 2 red ochre vials, 1 yellow ochre vial, 
1 modified chalcedony flake, 1 catlinite pipe, 4 chalcedony scrapers, 4 
petrified wood scrapers, and 1 war club.
    In 1956 human remains representing, at minimum, 12 individuals were 
removed from site 39WW0003, Spiry-Eklo Site, in Walworth County, SD. 
The human remains were collected by Dr. David A. Baerreis, University 
of Wisconsin, when multiple sites were excavated prior to the creation 
of the Oahe Dam Reservoir. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were originally stored at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 
until the collection was moved to SARC in 2015, where they are 
currently housed under the managerial control of the Omaha District. An 
inventory of the collections identified 12 individuals (8 adults of 
indeterminate sex, 2 subadults, and 2 infants). No known individuals 
were identified. The 743 associated funerary objects include 127 
ceramic rim sherds, 558 ceramic body sherds, 2 ceramic handle sherds, 2 
bone awls (faunal), 2 bone hoes (faunal), 5 modified bones (faunal), 3 
unidentified bone fragments (faunal), 2 burnt corn cobs, 1 wood 
fragment, 12 glass beads, 2 abraders, 1 biface fragment, 1 biface 
knife, 7 chipped stone flakes, 1 chipped stone tool, 1 modified flake, 
3 projectile points, 3 uniface flakes, 1 catlinite fragment, and 9 
scrapers.
    Based on morphological characteristics, archeological context, and 
associated funerary objects, the human remains in this notice are 
determined to be Native American. Both Site 39CA0006 and Site 39WW0003 
are fortified villages and are believed to represent the Extended 
Coalescent (A.D. 1500-1675) because of the mix of European and Native 
elements among the objects, including brass elements and glass beads, 
as well as the presence of flexed primary inhumations and log 
coverings, which represent a burial practice of the Akaska Focus. Based 
on oral tradition, historic accounts, archeological evidence, 
geographical location, and physical anthropological interpretations, 
the Extended Coalescent variants are believed to be ancestral Arikara. 
The Arikara are represented today by the Three Affiliated Tribes of the 
Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota.

Determinations Made by the Omaha District

    Officials of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 16 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 1,911 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 Three 
Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota.

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 Ms. Sandra Barnum, U.S. Army Engineer 
District, Omaha, ATTN: CENWO-PM-AB, 1616 Capital Avenue, Omaha, NE 
68102, telephone, (402) 995-2674, email [email protected] 
by May 14, 2018. After that date, if no additional requestors have come 
forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold 
Reservation, North Dakota, may proceed.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District is responsible for 
notifying the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, 
North Dakota, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 21, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-07702 Filed 4-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P