[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 2 (Friday, January 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 334-335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-28383]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0029322; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: State University 
of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The State University of New York at Oswego, in consultation 
with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, 
has determined that the cultural items listed in this notice meet the 
definition of unassociated funerary objects. Lineal descendants or 
representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not 
identified in this notice that wish to claim these cultural items 
should submit a written request to the State University of New York at

[[Page 335]]

Oswego. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of 
the cultural items 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 
claim these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to the State University of New York 
at Oswego at the address in this notice by February 3, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Alanna Ossa, NAGPRA Coordinator, State University of New 
York at Oswego, 313 Mahar Hall, Department of Anthropology, Oswego, NY 
13126, telephone (315) 312-4172, 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. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items under the 
control of the State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY, that 
meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects under 25 U.S.C. 
3001.
    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 cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    In an unknown time, 469 cultural items were removed from unknown 
sites in Oswego, Onondaga, Cayuga, Madison, Wayne, and St. Lawrence 
Counties, NY. These items were recovered as part of years of field 
schools and projects run by Peter Pratt in central NY while he was 
teaching at SUNY Oswego, and were transferred at an unknown time to 
SUNY Oswego. The 469 unassociated funerary objects are one effigy 
vessel; two soil samples; 30 plain and decorated incised pottery body 
sherds; four charcoal samples; one clay/daub; five unidentified faunal 
bones; one ground stone; one charcoal sample; 225 plain and decorated 
incised pottery body and rim sherds; two unidentified lithics; two 
unidentified faunal bones; one ground stone hand axe; 57 plain and 
decorated incised pottery rim and body sherds; 27 unidentified faunal 
bones; seven chert flakes and shatter; 53 plain and decorated incised 
pottery rim and body sherds; 28 plain and decorated incised pottery rim 
and body sherds; 11 miscellaneous lithics including groundstone, 
shatter, and preforms; one pottery pipe and refitted pieces; five 
pottery pipes; one effigy head pottery pipe; one effigy pottery pipe; 
and three pottery pipe parts.
    Based on the history of Peter Pratt's research program and the 
provenience of the materials recovered from his multiple decades of 
excavation in central NY, these items were more likely than not 
recovered via local donations made during one of his excavations within 
Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga sites, as this was a common feature of his 
field school materials.

Determinations Made by the State University of New York at Oswego

    Officials of the State University of New York at Oswego have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), the 469 cultural items 
described above 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the 
evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of a Native 
American individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the 
unassociated funerary objects and the Cayuga Nation; Oneida Indian 
Nation (previously listed as the Oneida Nation of New York); and the 
Onondaga Nation.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim 
these cultural items should submit a written request with information 
in support of the claim to Alanna Ossa, NAGPRA Coordinator, State 
University of New York at Oswego, 313 Mahar Hall, Department of 
Anthropology, Oswego, NY 13126, telephone (315) 312-4172, email 
[email protected], by February 3, 2020. After that date, if no 
additional claimants have come forward, transfer of control of the 
unassociated funerary objects to the Cayuga Nation; Oneida Indian 
Nation (previously listed as the Oneida Nation of New York); and the 
Onondaga Nation may proceed.
    The State University of New York at Oswego is responsible for 
notifying the Cayuga Nation; Oneida Indian Nation (previously listed as 
the Oneida Nation of New York); and the Onondaga Nation that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: November 14, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-28383 Filed 1-2-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P