[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 175 (Monday, September 10, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45657-45658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19534]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0026172; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
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 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 should submit a written 
request to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 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 the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs at the address in this notice by October 10, 2018.

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.

[[Page 45658]]

3003, of the completion of an inventory of human remains under the 
control of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Washington, DC. The human remains were removed from an unknown 
location in Alaska.
    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 the U.S. 
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs professional staff 
in consultation with a physical anthropologist with extensive 
experience in forensic work with Alaska Native human remains. Based on 
the report of the physical anthropologist, the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
sent an inventory and letters inviting consultation to representatives 
of 133 Indian tribes (names of invited tribes available upon request). 
None of the invited tribes wished to consult.

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date in or about 1973, human remains representing, at 
minimum, two individuals were removed from an unknown location in 
Alaska. On or about December 5, 2014, these human remains were mailed 
to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Alaska Region Office in a box with a 
letter attached. The writer, ``Madeline Hale,'' stated that, ``sometime 
around 1973, [Ms. Hale's] then boyfriend Mike went to Alaska and came 
back with [the enclosed human remains]. He said he'd found it out in 
the wilderness somewhere at an Indian burial ground.'' No additional 
information was provided. Ms. Hale did not provide a return mailing 
address or any other contact information, and attempts to locate her 
were unsuccessful. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    At the time of the excavation and removal of these human remains, 
the land from which the human remains were removed was not the tribal 
land of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. In May 2015, 
the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs sent 
letters to 133 Indian tribes who are recognized as aboriginal to the 
area from which these Native American human remains were most likely 
removed. The names of these invited tribes are available upon request. 
None of these Indian Tribes agreed to accept control of the human 
remains. In May 2018, the Bureau of Indian Affairs agreed to transfer 
control of the human remains to the Chinik Eskimo Community (Golovin); 
King Island Native Community; Native Village of Brevig Mission; Native 
Village of Council; Native Village of Diomede (aka Inalik); Native 
Village of Elim; Native Village of Gambell; Native Village of Koyuk; 
Native Village of Mary's Igloo; Native Village of Saint Michael; Native 
Village of Savoonga; Native Village of Shaktoolik; Native Village of 
Shishmaref; Native Village of Teller; Native Village of Unalakleet; 
Native Village of Wales; Native Village of White Mountain; Stebbins 
Community Association; and the Village of Solomon, hereafter referred 
to as ``The Tribes.''

Determinations Made by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs

    Officials of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on cranial analysis by a 
physical anthropologist with extensive experience performing such 
analyses.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of two 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.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(2)(i), the disposition of the 
human remains may be to The Tribes.

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 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 October 10, 2018. After 
that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of 
control of the human remains to The Tribes may proceed.
    The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs is 
responsible for notifying The Tribes that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: August 3, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-19534 Filed 9-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P