[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38048-38050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16683]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0028401; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Los Angeles County Museum of 
Natural History, Los Angeles, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History has completed 
an inventory of human remains, 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 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 should submit a written request to the Los 
Angeles County Museum of Natural History. If no additional requestors 
come forward,

[[Page 38049]]

transfer of control of the human remains 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 should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to the Los 
Angeles County Museum of Natural History at the address in this notice 
by September 4, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Amy E. Gusick, NAGPRA Officer, Los Angeles County Museum of 
Natural History, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, 
telephone (213) 763-3370, 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 Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los 
Angeles, CA. The human remains were removed from the Antelope Valley in 
northern Los Angeles County and the southeast portion of Kern County, 
CA.
    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 Los 
Angeles County Museum of Natural History (LACMNH) professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the San Manuel Band of Mission 
Indians, California (previously listed as the San Manual Band of 
Serrano Mission Indians of the San Manual Reservation) and the 
Fernande[ntilde]o Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, a non-federally 
recognized Indian group. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians, 
California (previously listed as the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission 
Indians of the Morongo Reservation); Santa Rosa Indian Community of the 
Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; and the Tejon Indian Tribe were 
invited to consult but deferred to the San Manuel Band of Mission 
Indians, California (previously listed as the San Manual Band of 
Serrano Mission Indians of the San Manual Reservation) and the 
Fernande[ntilde]o Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, a non-federally 
recognized Indian group.
    Hereafter, all Indian Tribes and Indian groups listed in this 
section are referred to as ``The Consulted and Invited Indian Tribes 
and Groups.''

History and Description of the Remains

    Prior to 1947, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual (LACMNH Catalog Number L.2397.66) were removed by Nestor A. 
Young, Jr. of Sierra Madre, CA, from the Nestor Young Ranch at Barrel 
Springs, located near Palmdale in Antelope Valley, Los Angeles County, 
CA. According to the 2013 book Legendary Locals of Antelope Valley by 
Norma Gurba, Young actively collected artifacts from his large ranch 
property near Barrel Spring, in Antelope Valley. At the time, the human 
remains consisted of a cranium and a jar containing cremated human 
remains. In December 1947, the human remains were sold to the 
Laboratory of Anthropology Hancock Foundation (a now disbanded museum 
once part of the University of Southern California) and recorded in its 
logbook with the designation CH: 1 1/70. On February 1, 1966, the 
Laboratory of Anthropology Hancock Foundation anthropology collection 
was loaned to LACMNH. On March 29, 1983, the collection was transferred 
as a gift to LACMNH. In 1995, LACMNH staff conducted an inventory of 
the human remains in the museum's collections, and identified a 
mandible whose designation (CH: 1 1/70) matched the designation in the 
logbook, thus indicating it came from the Young Ranch in Antelope 
Valley, CA. The human remains, consisting of one mandible broken into 
two pieces, belong to an adult 20-25 years old. The rest of the cranium 
and the jar containing the cremated human remains are not in the LACMNH 
collection; likely they were not transferred in 1966. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Between 1920 and 1979, human remains representing, at minimum, 
seven individuals were removed from an unknown location in the Antelope 
Valley, CA. They were accepted into the collections of the Antelope 
Valley Museum by either H. Arden Edwards, the museum founder, or by 
Grace W. Oliver, a later owner of the museum. One individual, cataloged 
as LACMNH Catalog Number F.A.2175.79-127, consist of a cranium 
representing an adult male 20-25 years old and has the number SK-9 
written on the cranium. Notes accompanying the cranium state that the 
human remains were collected from an undisclosed location in the 
Antelope Valley. Four individuals, cataloged as LACMNH Catalog Number 
F.A.2175.79-137, consists of three incomplete crania with teeth, one 
premolar, and one upper incisor. The three crania represent one 
possible male age 30-35 years; one possible adult female age 30-40 
years; and one individual of unknown sex and age. The premolar and 
upper incisor represent a fourth adult individual of unknown sex and 
age. A slip of paper found inside of one of the crania identifies them 
as SK-8 and notes that the human remains were collected from Antelope 
Valley at an unidentified location. Two individuals, cataloged as 
LACMNH Catalog Number F.A.2175.79-174, consist of one nearly complete 
skeleton of an adult male age 20-25 years, one left humerus, and one 
right ulna from a second possible adult female. Old exhibit label copy 
from the Antelope Valley Museum found with the human remains includes 
the geographic information as Antelope Valley, Indian Meadow, near 
Little Rock, CA.
    In 1979, Grace W. Oliver transferred items by deed of gift from the 
Antelope Valley Museum to LACMNH. A list of items transferred includes 
the SK-9 and SK-8 numbers, but does not contain any information about 
the human remains from Little Rock. In 1979, the State of California 
purchased the Antelope Valley Museum property from Oliver, who donated 
the collections held by the museum to the State of California. On 
December 3, 1979, the SK-9, SK-8, and Little Rock remains were 
transferred to LACMNH as part of accession F.A.2175.79. The SK-9 
cranium was accessioned as F.A.2175.79-127, the humans remains 
identified as SK-8 were accessioned as F.A.2175.79-137 and the remains 
from Little Rock were accessioned as F.A.2175.79-174. In 1995, LACNHM 
conducted an inventory of human remains in its collections and 
identified the cranium designated as SK-9 in its holdings and the 
nearly complete male skeleton, one left humerus, and one right ulna 
recovered from near Little Rock. In 2016, LACMNH reexamined the human 
remains in the F.A.2175.79 accession number and found a slip of paper 
inside one of the crania that identified the human remains of the four 
individuals designated SK-8 by the Antelope Valley Museum. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Bounded by the Tehachapi and Sierra Nevada mountains on the west 
and the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains on the south, Antelope

[[Page 38050]]

Valley constitutes the western Mojave Desert. Archaeological and 
ethnographic evidence suggests that this region was inhabited by Serran 
speakers of the Takic family of languages. More specifically, based on 
John P. Harrington's notes and mission records, the desert group 
occupying the Antelope Valley were speakers of the Serrano language. 
Inclusive of a few groups, the region was within the traditional 
territory of the Desert Serrano (referred to by some early Spanish 
explorers--and later ethnographers referencing their diaries--as the 
``Vanyume'' or ``Beneme''). Serrano peoples' oral traditions place them 
in this portion of their ancestral territory since time immemorial. 
Archaeologists have traditionally suggested that Serrano speakers have 
continuously occupied the San Bernardino Mountains and the areas north, 
northwest, and west of the San Bernardino Mountains for at least 3,000 
years, but newer studies have lengthened their occupancy up to 5,000-
6,000 years B.P.
    The Tataviam, a desert group that spoke a language distinct from 
Serrano, are also tied to the land in the southwestern portion of the 
Antelope Valley, including the northern foothills of the Liebre 
Mountains. The Tataviam language is derived from the Takic languages of 
the Uto-Aztecan linguistic stock, and is associated with villages that 
held Serrano and Kitanemuk speakers.
    There are mapped native settlements in the Antelope Valley which 
are known to have been inhabited by Tataviam, Serrano, and/or 
Kitanemuk- speaking peoples--sometimes separately and sometimes 
simultaneously. Such places in the Antelope Valley area, include but 
are not limited to, Amutskupiat/Amutskupeat, or Big Rock, and Maviayek/
Maviajeh', or Little Rock Creek. Some of the occupants of these 
villages were recruited to Mission San Fernando and Mission San 
Gabriel, but it also appears that some people successfully avoided 
missionization. The cultural affiliation of both Serrano and Tataviam 
includes the well-documented Lovejoy Springs site (CA-LAN-942), also 
known as the village of Tameobit/Tameonga.

Determinations Made by the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History

    Officials of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of eight individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, 
California (previously listed as the San Manual Band of Serrano Mission 
Indians of the San Manual Reservation), and, if joined, the 
Fernande[ntilde]o Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, a non-federally 
recognized Indian group.

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 should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Amy 
Gusick, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, 900 Exposition 
Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, telephone (213) 763-3370, email 
[email protected], by September 4, 2019. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, California 
(previously listed as the San Manual Band of Serrano Mission Indians of 
the San Manual Reservation) and the Fernande[ntilde]o Tataviam Band of 
Mission Indians (if joined to San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, 
California) may proceed.
    The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History is responsible for 
notifying The Consulted and Invited Indian Tribes and Groups that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: July 9, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-16683 Filed 8-2-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P