[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 27, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65406-65407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25729]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0029091; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Los Angeles Pierce College, 
Woodland Hills, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Los Angeles Pierce College 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 Los Angeles Pierce College. 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 Los Angeles Pierce College at the address in 
this notice by December 27, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Ronald K. Faulseit, Los Angeles Pierce College, 6201 
Winnetka Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91371, telephone (818) 610-6560, 
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 Los Angeles Pierce 
College, Woodland Hills, CA. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from the Chatsworth and Chatsworth Cairn 
archeological sites (CA LAN 357 and CA LAN 21), Los Angeles, 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 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 Los Angeles 
Pierce College's professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of 
the Santa Ynez Reservation, California and the Fernande[ntilde]o 
Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, a non-federally recognized Indian 
group.

History and Description of the Remains

    Members of the Anthropology Department of Los Angeles Pierce 
College have found the human remains of, at minimum, 18 individuals and 
72 associated funerary objects in the Anthropology storeroom at Pierce 
College. Analysis of archived field notebooks and site excavation forms 
in our possession demonstrates that these human remains and funerary 
objects were collected between 1970 and 1976 during excavations 
directed by Robert Pence (Pierce College) and Mike McIntyre 
(Californian State University Northridge [CSUN]) at the Chatsworth and 
Chatsworth Cairn archeological sites (CA LAN 357 and CA LAN 21). The 
non-funerary materials collected from CA LAN 357, such as chipped stone 
tools, worked animal bone, and ground stone items, indicate clear 
prehistoric Native American affiliation, while the project notebooks 
and forms contain no indication that any of the items collected were of 
non-native origin.
    CA LAN 357 is a well-documented archeological site that today is 
found mostly on the grounds of the Chatsworth Hills Academy in 
Chatsworth, CA (McIntyre 1975). It is associated with two other nearby 
sites, CA LAN 209 (now mostly covered by California state highway 118) 
and the Chatsworth Cairn site, CA LAN 21. The latter site was excavated 
originally by Edwin Walker in 1939, and later by McIntyre of CSUN. 
Today, the location consists of multiple housing developments (Raab 
1986). According to Hull (2012), some of the features

[[Page 65407]]

excavated by Walker date as early as the intermediate period (1000 B.C. 
to A.D. 1000), but the site is mostly a late prehistoric to historic 
settlement that contained both residential and ceremonial elements. The 
Fernande[ntilde]o consider these three archeological sites as a single 
multi-component settlement known as Momonga, while the Chumash use the 
term Calucscoho. A number of rock art panels have been documented at 
the Chatsworth site, and the excavations by Pence, Walker, and McIntyre 
uncovered objects consistent with Native American occupation. An 
article by Sanburg et al. (1978) states:

    The Chatsworth Site was occupied into historic times (Walker 
1952:85; Leonard 1974), but there is some conflict as to which 
group, the Fernandeno or the Chumash, was associated with it. 
Kroeber (1925: 621) and Johnston (1966: 9, 11) consider the site to 
be within the Fernandeno area whose boundary with the Chumash they 
set a short distance to the west at the Santa Susana Pass. This has 
been questioned by Forbes (1966: 138) who states that the Chumash 
extended as far east as El Escorpion, located in the southwestern 
section of the San Fernando Valley and probably were found to the 
north all along the valley's western edge. [Sanburg et al. 1978, 
page 28].

Sanburg et al. (1978) conclude that the ``petrographic art present at 
the Chatsworth Site relates well to the previously presented material 
from the Chumash Area.'' Based on the documentary evidence, the site 
most likely had dual-ethnic components with either simultaneous or 
subsequent use or occupation. Therefore, the site holds significant 
ritual and ceremonial importance to both the Fernande[ntilde]o and 
Chumash people.
    During consultation, Pierce College received correspondence from 
the Tribal President of the Fernande[ntilde]o Tataviam Band, Rudy J. 
Ortega Jr., citing various archeological and historic publications 
linking the Fernande[ntilde]o Tribe to the site. Mr. Ortega's letter 
also included information about the Tribe's ethnic makeup, territorial 
boundaries, and connection to the Momonga site (CA LAN 357/CA LAN 21).
    One individual was recovered from a burial at CA LAN 357 during 
Pence's excavations in 1970 and 1971. The human remains were found in 
very poor condition, with 65-70% of the skull and torso missing. 
Several photographs taken during the burial excavation show the bones 
of the lower portion (legs) of an individual in the flexed (fetal) 
position. According to the excavators, the individual was a middle-aged 
adult of undetermined sex.
    One individual was recovered from the excavation of a burial during 
the 1972 field season. The human remains recovered are too fragmentary 
to allow specification of the sex, age, or stature of the individual. 
According to the excavators, the individual was a young adult of 
undetermined sex, but the excavators considered the individual to be 
male because of the associated objects recovered with the burial. These 
items, consisting mostly of hammerstone fragments and chipped stone 
tools, could not be located.
    Four individuals are represented by solitary teeth that were 
recovered from excavation units during Pence's 1970s field seasons. The 
teeth were found in individually labeled small bags and consist of one 
fragment of a molar from excavation unit L28, one premolar (reg. no. 
72-1202), one incisor (reg. no. 70-0787), and one maxillary canine 
(reg. no. 72-1199). One individual is represented by a solitary tibia 
fragment that is likely to have come from McIntyre's excavations of the 
CA LAN 21 site in 1976.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, least 11 individuals were 
stored separately in boxes marked Series A, B, D, E-1, E-2, and T. Each 
box was treated as a separate burial context. Series A, B, D, and E-1 
boxes contained fragmented human remains representing at least one 
individual each. Series E-2 box contain the fragmented human remains of 
at least three individuals. Series' T and K boxes contained fragmented 
human remains representing at least two individuals each. No known 
individuals were identified. The 72 associated funerary objects are 17 
chipped stone scrapers, two shaped sandstone tools, six chipped stone 
projectile points, four chipped-stone core fragments, one rim fragment 
from a ground stone bowl, one small bag of ochre fragments, four 
sandwich bags of small animal bone fragments, three sandwich bags of 
chipped stone flakes and debitage, and 34 fragments of animal bones.

Determinations Made by Los Angeles Pierce College

    Officials of Los Angeles Pierce College have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 18 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 72 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 Santa 
Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, 
California, 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 and associated 
funerary objects should submit a written request with information in 
support of the request to Ronald K Faulseit, Los Angeles Pierce 
College, 6201 Winnetka Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91371, telephone 
(818) 610-6560, email [email protected], by December 27, 2019. 
After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa 
Ynez Reservation, California, and the Fernande[ntilde]o Tataviam Band 
of Mission Indians (if joined with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash 
Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California) may proceed.
    The Los Angeles Pierce College is responsible for notifying the 
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez 
Reservation, California and the Fernande[ntilde]o Tataviam Band of 
Mission Indians that this notice has been published.

    Dated: October 8, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-25729 Filed 11-26-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P