[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 24, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17195-17196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08234]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0027463; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Nebraska State 
Historical Society, DBA History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: History Nebraska, in consultation with the appropriate Indian 
Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the 
cultural items listed in this notice meet the definition of a sacred 
object. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or 
Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to 
claim this cultural item should submit a written request to History 
Nebraska. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control 
of the cultural items 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 
claim these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to History Nebraska at the address 
in this notice by May 24, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Trisha Nelson, History Nebraska, 1500 R Street, Lincoln, NE 
68508-1651, telephone (402) 471-4760, 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. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items under the 
control of History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, that meet the definition of 
sacred objects under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

History and Description of the Cultural Item

    On July 17, 1962, Charles A. Walker, a member of the Omaha Tribe of 
Nebraska, donated a trunk containing medicinal bundles to History 
Nebraska (then known as the Nebraska State Historical Society). In a 
letter dated July 9, 1962, Mr. Walker asked then-director Marvin Kivett 
if the Nebraska State Historical Society could preserve the ``Indian 
relic known as bundle.'' Mr. Kivett drove to the Omaha reservation in 
Thurston County, NE, and picked up the trunk on July 17, 1962. The 
trunk and its contents had been owned by Charles Walker's grandfather, 
Alan Walker (mistakenly noted as ELLEN Walker in History Nebraska's 
records), who reportedly died in 1907, at the age of 69. The collection 
was reported to have been previously owned by Alan Walker's father.
    On June 21, 2018, Marisa Cummings, a lineal descendant of Charles 
Walker and Alan Walker, requested the repatriation of the trunk 
collection as a sacred object. History Nebraska first initiated 
consultation on this collection by sending a NAGPRA summary to the 
Omaha Tribe of Nebraska in November of 1993. History Nebraska 
reinitiated consultation with the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska in June of 
2018. On September 26, 2018, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska requested the 
repatriation of the trunk collection as an object of cultural 
patrimony.

Determinations Made by History Nebraska

    Officials of History Nebraska have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(C), the one cultural item 
described above contains specific ceremonial objects needed by 
traditional Native American religious leaders for the practice of 
traditional Native American religions by their present-day adherents;
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3005(a)(5)(A) and 43 CFR 10.2(b)(1), 
Marissa Cummings is the direct lineal descendant of the individual who 
owned the sacred object;

[[Page 17196]]

     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3005(b), the sacred object is not 
indispensable for any specific scientific study;
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3005(c), History Nebraska does not 
have right of possession to the sacred object; and
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3005(e), Marissa Cummings is the 
most appropriate claimant.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim 
these cultural items should submit a written request with information 
in support of the claim to Trisha Nelson, History Nebraska, 1500 R 
Street, Lincoln, NE 68508-1651, telephone (402) 471-4760, email 
[email protected], by May 24, 2019. After that date, if no 
additional claimants have come forward, transfer of control of the 
sacred objects to Marissa Cummings may proceed.
    History Nebraska is responsible for notifying Marissa Cummings and 
the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 11, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-08234 Filed 4-23-19; 8:45 am]
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