[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35437-35438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12551]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0030316; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Central Washington University, 
Ellensburg, WA, and Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, 
University of Washington, Seattle, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Central Washington University and the Thomas Burke Memorial 
Washington State Museum (Burke Museum) have completed an inventory of 
human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the 
appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations and have 
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 Central Washington University or the Burke Museum. 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 Central Washington University or the Burke 
Museum at the address in this notice by July 10, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Lourdes Henebry-DeLeon, Department of Anthropology, Central 
Washington University, 400 East University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-
7544, telephone (509) 963-2671, email [email protected] 
and Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 353010, 
Seattle, WA 98195, telephone (206) 685-3849 Ext. 2, 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 Central Washington 
University, Ellensburg, WA, and the Thomas Burke Memorial Washington 
State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. The human remains 
and associated funerary objects were removed from near the Sultan River 
near the city of Sultan, Snohomish County, WA.
    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 Central 
Washington University and Burke Museum professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe 
(previously listed as Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington) and the Tulalip 
Tribes of Washington (previously listed as Tulalip Tribes of the 
Tulalip Reservation, Washington).

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from near the Sultan River, a branch of the 
Skykomish River, near the city of Sultan in Snohomish County, WA. The 
human remains and associated funerary objects were removed by Mr. 
Dennis Osier and Mr. Robert Franz and donated to the Burke Museum in 
1966 (Burke Accn. #1966-75). In 1974, the Burke Museum legally 
transferred the human remains to Central Washington University (CWU 
Accn. BN). No known individuals were identified. The 15 funerary 
objects are one leather shoe, one shell button, one lot of wool 
fragments, and 12 rusted nails. The funerary objects are still in the 
possession of the Burke Museum.
    The human remains have been determined to be Native American based 
on osteological and archeological evidence. The presence of copper 
staining on the human remains is consistent with historic Native 
American burial practices in this area. The city of Sultan is situated 
at the confluence of the Skykomish and Sultan Rivers and was previously 
the site of a large permanent Skykomish village. Information provided 
during consultations, as well as historical and anthropological 
sources, indicate that the area around Sultan is within the traditional 
territory of the Skykomish and Snohomish (Haeberlin and Gunther, 1930; 
Hollenbeck, 1987). Ruby and Brown (1986), Suttles (1990) and Spier 
(1936) associate the area around the Sultan River with the Skykomish. 
Mooney (1896) associates the area around the Sultan River with the 
Snohomish. The Skykomish and Snohomish people relocated to the Tulalip 
Reservation per the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855. The present-day 
Tulalip Tribes of Washington are the successors in interest to the 
Skykomish and Snohomish.

Determinations Made by Central Washington University and the Burke 
Museum

    Officials of Central Washington University and the Burke Museum 
have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of two individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 15 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 Tulalip 
Tribes of Washington (previously listed as Tulalip Tribes of the 
Tulalip Reservation, Washington).

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 Lourdes Henebry-DeLeon, Department of 
Anthropology, Central Washington University, 400 East University Way, 
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7544, telephone (509) 963-2671, email 
[email protected], and Peter Lape, Burke Museum, 
University of Washington, Box 353010, Seattle, WA

[[Page 35438]]

98195, telephone (206) 685-3849 Ext. 2, email [email protected], by July 10, 
2020. After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Tulalip Tribes of Washington (previously listed as 
Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, Washington) may proceed.
    Central Washington University and the Burke Museum are responsible 
for notifying the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe (previously listed as 
Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington) and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington 
(previously listed as Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, 
Washington) that this notice has been published.

    Dated: May 11, 2020.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020-12551 Filed 6-9-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P