[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2920-2921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01623]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0027196; PCU00RP14.R50000-PPWOCRDN0]


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 and associated funerary 
objects, 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 associated funerary objects 
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 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 Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

[[Page 2921]]


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 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 March 11, 2019.

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. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from sites on and 
around Black Mesa and Klethla Valley in Coconino and Navajo Counties, 
AZ.
    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 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 Hopi Tribe of Arizona; 
Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; and the Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

History and Description of the Remains

    From 1967 to 1983, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) issued 
Antiquities Act permits authorizing excavations in the Black Mesa 
region of Arizona. Black Mesa, an area of roughly 49,300 hectares, was 
leased to Peabody Coal Company (now Peabody Energy) by the Hopi Tribe 
of Arizona and Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah for the 
purpose of mining coal deposits. The Black Mesa Archaeological Project 
(BMAP), conducted by staff and students from Prescott College and 
later, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIU), gathered 
archeological and anthropological data on Black Mesa. In 1974, Prescott 
College declared bankruptcy and closed. In 1976, after being housed at 
Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, for one year, the BMAP collections 
and records were transferred to SIU. In or about 1979, SIU entered into 
a long-term loan agreement with Debra Martin for the human remains from 
BMAP. Dr. Martin transported the human remains to the University of 
Massachusetts, Amherst, and in or about 1986, Dr. Martin moved the 
human remains to Hampshire College. In or about 2006, Dr. Martin, with 
approval from SIU, relocated the human remains to the University of 
Nevada, Las Vegas. BIA was never consulted nor advised of any of these 
loans or moves. The associated funerary objects remained at SIU. In 
March and May 2018, the BIA, in consultation with the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona and Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah, authorized the 
physical transfer of all BMAP human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) in Flagstaff, AZ. The 
human remains were transferred to MNA in May 2018, and the associated 
funerary objects were transferred from SIU to MNA in October 2018.
    In 1960 and 1971-72, additional excavations were conducted under 
Antiquities Act permits issued by the BIA on ten sites in Klethla 
Valley, AZ. One site was excavated in 1960 as part of the construction 
of a highway. Nine sites were excavated in 1971 and 1972 within the 
right-of-way corridor for the Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad. 
Human remains and associated funerary objects were removed and have 
been housed at MNA since their removal.
    From 1960 to 1983, human remains representing, at minimum, 341 
individuals were removed from numerous sites on Black Mesa and in 
Klethla Valley in Coconino and Navajo Counties, AZ. No known 
individuals were identified. The 10,889 associated funerary objects 
include ceramic vessels, beads, pollen and soil samples, sherds, 
lithics, plant and wood materials, groundstone, shells, and faunal 
remains. A complete, detailed inventory is on file with the National 
NAGPRA Program and available upon written request to the BIA.

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 are Native American based on studies conducted by 
physical anthropologists.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 341 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 10,889 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), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day 
Indian Tribe.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (15), the land from which the 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed is the tribal land of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and Navajo 
Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects may be to the Hopi Tribe 
of Arizona and Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah.

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 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 March 11, 2019. 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 and Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah, may proceed.
    The BIA is responsible for notifying the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; 
Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; and the Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: December 17, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-01623 Filed 2-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P