[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 82 (Monday, April 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18081-18082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08589]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0027608, PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: City of Traverse City, Traverse 
City, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The City of Traverse City 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 City of Traverse City. 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 City of 
Traverse City at the address in this notice by May 29, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Penny Hill, Assistant City Manager, City of Traverse City, 
400 Boardman Avenue, Traverse City, MI 49684, telephone (231) 922-4440, 
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 the City of Traverse City, Traverse City,

[[Page 18082]]

MI. The human remains were removed from the ``western plains.''
    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. 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 City of 
Traverse City professional staff in consultation with representatives 
of tribes with aboriginal territory in North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Nebraska, and Kansas; eastern portions of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, 
and New Mexico; portions of Oklahoma; and northwestern portions of 
Texas. The consultant tribes with aboriginal territory in the ``western 
plains'' include: Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Grand Traverse 
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Little River Band of 
Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of 
Michigan; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; 
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; and the Sault Ste. Marie 
Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan.
    In addition to the Tribes listed above, all other Tribes with 
aboriginal territory in the ``western plains'' were also invited to 
participate but were not involved in consultations. A full list of 
these Tribes is available upon request.
    Hereafter, these Tribes are referred to as ``The Consulted and 
Notified Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    On an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from an unknown location. In 1935, Traverse 
City Park Commissioner Con Foster sought to create a park that would 
include a historical museum. Foster traveled throughout the Midwest in 
search of Native American items to display in the museum. Over the 
course of 70 years the collection grew to include over 3,000 Native 
American items. In 2002, the collection was moved to the Grand Traverse 
Heritage Center. After the management contract between the City of 
Traverse City and the Grand Traverse Heritage Center was not renewed in 
2014, the Con Foster Museum collection was placed in storage, where it 
remains today. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present. According to museum records, a rifle 
(catalog number 1939.0001.0029b) was found with the human remains. 
Currently, the rifle cannot be located.
    In museum records, the human remains are identified as being from 
the ``western plains,'' which can be interpreted to mean the Great 
Plains. The Great Plains encompasses all of North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Nebraska, and Kansas; eastern portions of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, 
and New Mexico; western portions of Oklahoma; and northwestern portions 
of Texas. In addition, the focus of the Con Foster Museum collection 
was on Native American items. Together, this information makes it more 
likely than not that the human remains described in this notice are 
Native American. Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.16, the Secretary of the 
Interior may make a recommendation for a transfer of control of 
culturally unidentifiable human remains. In September 2017, the City of 
Traverse City requested that the Secretary, through the Native American 
Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee, recommend the 
proposed transfer of control of the culturally unidentifiable Native 
American human remains in this notice to the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish 
Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe 
of Michigan; and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan. 
The Review Committee, acting pursuant to its responsibility under 25 
U.S.C. 3006(c)(5), considered the request at its October 2018 meeting, 
and recommended to the Secretary that the proposed transfer of control 
proceed. A November 7, 2018 letter on behalf of the Secretary of 
Interior from the Designated Federal Official transmitted the 
Secretary's independent review and concurrence with the Review 
Committee that:
     The City of Traverse City consulted with every appropriate 
Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization,
     none of The Consulted and Notified Tribes objected to the 
proposed transfer of control, and
     the City of Traverse City may proceed with the agreed upon 
transfer of control of the culturally unidentifiable human remains to 
the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; 
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe 
of Chippewa Indians, Michigan.
    Transfer of control is contingent on the publication of a Notice of 
Inventory Completion in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that 
requirement.

Determinations Made by the City of Traverse City

    Officials of the City of Traverse City have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American, based on museum records and 
collection practices.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual 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 will be to the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of 
Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of 
Michigan; and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan.

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 Penny Hill, Assistant City Manager, City 
of Traverse City, 400 Boardman Avenue, Traverse City, MI 49684, 
telephone (231) 922-4440, email [email protected], by May 29, 
2019. After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains to the Match-e-be-nash-she-
wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Saginaw Chippewa Indian 
Tribe of Michigan; and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, 
Michigan may proceed.
    The City of Traverse City is responsible for notifying The 
Consulted and Notified Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: April 2, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-08589 Filed 4-26-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P