[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 125 (Friday, June 28, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31094-31095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13838]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0028123; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Sloan Museum, Flint, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Sloan Museum 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 Sloan Museum. 
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.

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 Sloan Museum at the address in this notice by July 
29, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Geoff Woodcox, Sloan Museum, 1221 E Kearsley Street, Flint, 
MI 48503, telephone (810) 237-3434, 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 Sloan Museum, 
Flint, MI. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from Montrose, Genesee County, MI.
    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 and associated funerary 
objects was made by the Sloan Museum professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Grand 
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Hannahville 
Indian Community, Michigan; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; 
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 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; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota 
(Six component reservations: Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake); Fond du Lac 
Band; Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band;

[[Page 31095]]

Mille Lacs Band; White Earth Band); Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the 
Potawatomi, Michigan (previously listed as the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); 
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; Saginaw 
Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of 
Chippewa Indians, Michigan.
    The Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians 
of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin; Chippewa Cree Indians of the 
Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana (previously listed as the Chippewa-
Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana); Citizen 
Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma; Forest County Potawatomi Community, 
Wisconsin; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians 
of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (previously listed as the Prairie Band 
of Potawatomi Nation, Kansas); Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian 
Reservation, California & Arizona; Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, 
Minnesota; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa 
Indians of Wisconsin; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North 
Dakota; and the Wyandotte Nation were invited but chose not to 
participate.
    Hereafter, the Indian Tribes listed above are referred to as ``The 
Consulted and Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1945, human remains representing, at minimum, nine individuals 
were removed from the Scoto Mounds in Genesee County, MI. The human 
remains were excavated from the mounds by the acting curator of the 
Genesee County Historical Society and a group of volunteers, and were 
added to the collection of that organization. In 1966, upon the opening 
of the Sloan Museum, ownership of the collection of the Genesee County 
Historical Society was transferred to the Sloan Museum. Much of the 
human remains are too fragmentary to define age or sex; however, it was 
determined that among the nine individuals, there are four children and 
two adults, of whom two are male and two are probably female. No known 
individuals were identified. The human remains were not dated at the 
time of the analysis, and there are no cultural artifacts that would 
aid in determining the date of the human remains. The one associated 
funerary object is a deer scapula.

Determinations Made by the Sloan Museum

    Officials of the Sloan Museum have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American, based on an osteological analysis 
completed by the Michigan State University Department of Anthropology.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of nine individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the one object described 
in this notice is 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.
     According to final judgements of the Indian Claims 
Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed is the aboriginal land of Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of 
Michigan.
     Treaties, Acts of Congress, or Executive Orders, indicate 
that the land from which the Native American human remains and 
associated funerary objects were removed is the aboriginal land of The 
Consulted and Invited Tribes.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects may be to The Consulted 
and Invited 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 and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Geoff 
Woodcox, Curator of Collections, Sloan Museum, 1221 E Kearsley Street, 
Flint, MI 48503, telephone (810) 237-3434, email 
[email protected], by July 29, 2019. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to The Consulted and 
Invited Tribes may proceed.
    The Sloan Museum is responsible for notifying The Consulted and 
Invited Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: June 5, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-13838 Filed 6-27-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P