[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 60 (Friday, March 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17357-17358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06435]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0029919; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Pueblo Grande Museum, Phoenix, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Pueblo Grande Museum 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 Pueblo Grande Museum. If no 
additional requestors come forward, 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 
Pueblo Grande Museum at the address in this notice by April 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Lindsey Vogel-Teeter, Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. 
Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034, telephone (602) 534-1572, 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 Pueblo Grande Museum, Phoenix, AZ. The human remains 
were removed from Maricopa, Pinal, or Gila County, AZ.
    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 Pueblo 
Grande Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives 
of the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the 
Salt River Reservation, Arizona; and the Yavapai-Apache Nation of the 
Camp Verde Indian Reservation, Arizona. The Ak-Chin Indian Community 
(previously listed as Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak 
Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona); Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Fort Sill 
Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero 
Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; San Carlos 
Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'Odham 
Nation of Arizona; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; and the White 
Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona were 
invited to consult but did not participate. Hereafter, all Indian 
Tribes listed in this section are referred to as ``The Consulted and 
Notified Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    Sometime prior to 1959, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from an unidentified cave site in the 
Superstition Mountains in Maricopa, Pinal or Gila County, AZ. 
Accompanying information states that this individual was found exposed 
in a cave lying in a flexed position, and was likely an Apache. In 
March 1959, the individual was transferred to Pueblo Grande Museum by 
Roy Johnson. The human remains were partially on display in an exhibit 
case until at least 1973. They comprise a complete skeleton, and 
include preserved soft tissue. The human remains belong to an adult 
male 30-35 years old. No known individuals were identified. No funerary 
objects are present.
    Based on the original collecting history, this individual may be 
culturally affiliated with the Apache Tribes. Bioarcheological markers 
documented in 2018 further suggest that this individual had a hunter-
gatherer lifestyle consistent with Archaic or Apache affiliation. The 
Superstition Mountains are within the traditional lands and historic 
migration paths of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Fort Sill Apache Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero Apache 
Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; San Carlos Apache Tribe 
of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; 
White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; 
and the Yavapai-Apache Nation of the Camp Verde Reservation, Arizona. 
Additionally, during consultation, a representative from the Salt River 
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona 
stated that ancestral O'Odham were interred in a flexed position in 
caves, and identified this individual as culturally affiliated with the 
Four Southern Tribes, also known as the O'Odham. They are the Ak-Chin 
Indian Community (previously listed as the Ak Chin Indian Community of 
the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona); Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt River 
Pima-

[[Page 17358]]

Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; and 
the Tohono O'Odham Nation of Arizona. The Superstition Mountains are 
within the traditional lands of the O'Odham.

Determinations Made by the Pueblo Grande Museum

    Officials of the Pueblo Grande Museum have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual 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 Ak-Chin Indian Community (previously 
listed as Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian 
Reservation, Arizona); Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Fort Sill Apache Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero 
Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Salt River Pima-
Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; San 
Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Tohono 
O'Odham Nation of Arizona; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; White 
Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; and the 
Yavapai-Apache Nation of the Camp Verde Reservation, Arizona (hereafter 
referred to as ``The Tribes'').

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 Lindsey 
Vogel-Teeter, Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 
AZ 85034, telephone (602) 534-1572, email [email protected], by April 27, 2020. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains to The Tribes may proceed.
    The Pueblo Grande Museum is responsible for notifying The Consulted 
and Notified Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: February 21, 2020.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020-06435 Filed 3-26-20; 8:45 am]
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