[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4700-4702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01337]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0029371; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of 
Natural History, Norman, OK

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the 
University of Oklahoma has completed

[[Page 4701]]

an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organization, 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 Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. If 
no additional requesters 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: 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 Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the 
address in this notice by February 26, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Marc Levine, Associate Curator of Archaeology, Sam Noble 
Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 
Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK 73072-7029, telephone (405) 325-1994, 
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 Sam Noble Oklahoma 
Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from McIntosh County, OK.
    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 the Sam 
Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and 
the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), 
Oklahoma (hereafter referred to as ``The Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1940, human remains representing, at minimum, 137 individuals 
were removed from the Eufaula Mound site (34Mi45), also known as the 
Groseclose site, in McIntosh County, OK. The site lies at the 
confluence of the North Canadian and Canadian Rivers, approximately 80 
kilometers west of Spiro Mounds. Following extensive damage to the site 
from agricultural activities and looting, excavations were carried out 
by the Works Progress Administration during May-August 1940. The 
project was funded by the Creek Indian Memorial Association, and 
fieldwork was supervised by Kenneth Orr. Materials recovered during the 
excavation were split between the Creek Memorial Museum (later known as 
the Creek Council House Museum) and the Sam Noble Museum. Additional 
associated funerary objects described in the excavation report were 
never delivered to the Museum. Instead, the most valuable items were 
sent to the Creek Memorial Museum and allegedly stolen during the early 
1980s. In 1958, the Creek Indian Museum of Okmulgee donated one of 
these associated funerary objects from the 1940 excavation to the 
Museum. The site was later flooded following the construction of the 
Eufaula Dam in 1964.
    The human remains from 34Mi45 include partial skeletons of one 
child, 3-12 years old; two adults greater than 20 years old of 
indeterminate sex; one young adult of indeterminate sex, 20-35 years 
old; one middle adult of indeterminate sex, 35-50 years old; one young 
adult female, 20-35 years old; one female greater than 50 years old; 
one adult male greater than 20 years old; two young adult males, 20-35 
years old; and one middle adult male, 35-50 years old. Fragmentary 
skeletons include eighteen children, 3-12 years old; six adolescents, 
12-20 yrs; nineteen young adults, 20-35 years old of indeterminate sex; 
one adult female greater than 20 years old; two middle adult females, 
35-50 years old; two adult males greater than 20 years old; two middle 
adult males, 35-50 years old; six middle adults of indeterminate sex, 
35-50 years old; three older adults greater than 50 years old of 
indeterminate sex; and sixty-seven adults of indeterminate sex, all 
greater than 20 years old. No known individuals were identified. The 
177 associated funerary objects include 13 faunal bone fragments, one 
stone chert nodule, one sample of unmodified stone pebbles, one 
unmodified rock, four samples of small unmodified pebbles that may have 
been associated with rattles, three limestone pipes, one stone flake, 
seven projectile points, two stone earspools, one galena fragment, five 
red ochre pigment samples, 10 copper fragments, 121 ceramic sherds, one 
ceramic bead, two shell beads, one copper covered wooden blade, two 
wood mask fragments with the remains of a copper veneer, and one soil 
sample from a pipe bowl.
    All of the human remains in this notice are determined to be Native 
American based on their archeological context and collection history. 
Furthermore, all of the human remains and associated funerary offerings 
were most likely interred during the local Harlan through early Norman 
phases (A.D. 1100-1300) of the Mississippian Period. Archaeological 
data, together with ethnohistoric data, ethnographic data, and tribal 
oral histories support the determination that the human remains and 
associated funerary offerings can be culturally affiliated with both 
the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes 
(Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma.

Determinations Made by the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

    Officials of the Sam Noble Oklahoma 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 137 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 177 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), a relationship of shared 
group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native 
American human remains and associated funerary objects and The Tribes.

Additional Requesters 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 Dr. Marc Levine, Associate Curator of 
Archaeology, Sam

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Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 
Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK 73072-7029, telephone (405) 325-1994, 
email [email protected], by February 26, 2020. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to The Tribes may 
proceed.
    The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is responsible for 
notifying The Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: November 22, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020-01337 Filed 1-24-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P