[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25821-25822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11538]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0027851; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: History Colorado, Formerly 
Colorado Historical Society, Denver, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: History Colorado 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 
History Colorado. 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 History Colorado at the address in this 
notice by July 5, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Alisa DiGiacomo, History Colorado, 1200 Broadway, Denver, CO 
80203, telephone (303) 866-4687, 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 History Colorado, 
Denver, CO. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from Montezuma and La Plata Counties, CO.
    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 was made by History 
Colorado professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Hopi Tribe, Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, 
New Mexico; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; Pueblo of Acoma, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Southern Ute Indian 
Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 
(previously listed as the Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah); Ysleta del Sur Pueblo 
(previously listed as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas); and the Zuni 
Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.
    The Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (previously listed as the Pueblo of 
San Juan); Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; and the Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico 
were invited to consult but did not do so.
    Hereafter, all the Tribes listed above are referred to as ``The 
Consulted and Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    In March 2018, human remains representing, at minimum, three 
individuals were removed from 5MT20855 in Montezuma County, CO. The 
individuals were removed during archeological monitoring for Kinder 
Morgan CO2 Company's proposed Well Pad and Access Road construction. 
The human remains were transferred to the Office of Archaeology and 
Historic Preservation (OAHP) in September 2018, and are identified as 
OAHP Case Number 331. The human remains represent one adult female 25-
35 years of age, one adult female 45-65 years of age, and one adult 
male 25-60 years of age. No known individuals were identified. The 11 
associated funerary objects are one lot of gray ware sherds 
representing a bowl, one lot of white ware sherds representing a bowl, 
one lot of stone flakes, three lots of sherds, one Mancos grayware 
pitcher, one polishing stone, one piece of ground stone in two 
sections, and two burned juniper slabs.
    The site at 5MT20855 is a multicomponent, seasonal habitation site. 
The architecture and ceramics recovered from the component associated 
with these individuals date to the late Basketmaker III/Pueblo I 
periods (A.D. 550-900). Osteological analysis by Woods Canyon 
Archaeological Consultants determined the individuals to be Native 
American. The preponderance of the evidence, including geographical 
location, archeological evidence (including site architecture and 
material culture), biological evidence, and continuity of key cultural 
traits through time, shows that the site is associated with the 
Ancestral Puebloan occupations of the southwestern United States from 
the Basketmaker II period through the Pueblo III period (approximately 
1000 B.C. to A.D. 1300).
    In the 1930s, human remains representing one individual were 
removed from Blue Mesa, La Plata County, CO. A second individual was 
removed from Yellow Jacket Canyon, Montezuma County, CO. A third 
individual is represented by a tooth, and

[[Page 25822]]

was collected with one of the other individuals, but it is unclear 
which one. In the 1970s, the collectors Homer Root and Charles McLean 
gave the human remains of these three individuals to a private citizen. 
The transferee's son found them in 2018, while handling his deceased 
father's estate. Root and McLean indicated that the human remains came 
from Basketmaker and Pueblo burials. In August 2018, the county 
coroners ruled out a forensic interest, where upon the human remains 
were transferred to History Colorado. They are identified as OAHP Case 
Number 336. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    Osteological analysis by Dr. Christine Pink determined the 
individuals to be Native American. The geographical areas from which 
the human remains were removed contain numerous documented Ancestral 
Puebloan sites. Root and McLean were knowledgeable about Ancestral 
Puebloan burials. Root was an avid collector of Ancestral Pueblo human 
remains and goods, and led field schools for Fort Lewis College from 
1965 to 1969. The preponderance of the evidence, including geographical 
location, biological evidence, and expert opinion regarding burial 
context, shows that the human remains are associated with the Ancestral 
Puebloan occupations of the southwestern United States from the 
Basketmaker II period through the Pueblo III period (approximately 1000 
B.C. to A.D. 1300).
    Evidence for the cultural affiliation of the human remains in this 
notice was gathered from tribal consultations, physical examination of 
the human remains, a survey of acquisition history, a review of current 
available archeological, ethnographic, historical, anthropological and 
linguistic literature, and artifact analysis.

Determinations Made by the History Colorado

    Officials of History Colorado have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of six individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 11 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 Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona; Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (previously listed as the 
Pueblo of San Juan); Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San 
Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (previously listed as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo 
of Texas); and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico, 
hereafter referred to as ``The Affiliated Tribes.''

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 Alisa DiGiacomo, History Colorado, 1200 
Broadway, Denver, CO 80203, telephone (303) 866-4687, email 
[email protected], by July 5, 2019. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to The Affiliated Tribes 
may proceed.
    History Colorado is responsible for notifying The Consulted and 
Invited Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: May 3, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-11538 Filed 6-3-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P