[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 174 (Tuesday, September 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55481-55482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-19699]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0030683; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Michigan State University, East 
Lansing, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Michigan State University 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 no cultural affiliation between the human 
remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian 
Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian 
Tribes 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 Michigan 
State University. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of 
control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice 
may proceed.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian Tribes 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 Michigan State University at the address in this notice 
by October 8, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Judith Stoddart, Associate Provost for University 
Collections and Arts Initiatives, Michigan State University, 466 W 
Circle Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824-1044, telephone (517) 432-2524, 
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 Michigan State 
University, East Lansing, MI. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from Alcona County, MI.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). 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 Michigan 
State University professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Grand 
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Hannahville 
Indian Community, Michigan; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; 
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan; 
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay 
Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of 
Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the 
Potawatomi, Michigan (previously listed as Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); 
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; Saginaw 
Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa 
Indians, Michigan; and two non-federally recognized Indian groups, the 
Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and the Grand River Band 
of Ottawa Indians (hereafter referred to as ``The Consulted Tribes and 
Groups'').
    An invitation to consult was extended to the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe 
of Indians of Oklahoma; Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of 
Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin; Chippewa Cree 
Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana (previously listed as 
Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana); Citizen 
Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe 
of Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Forest County Potawatomi 
Community, Wisconsin; Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas; Kickapoo 
Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas; Kickapoo Tribe 
of Oklahoma; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians 
of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Menominee Indian Tribe of 
Wisconsin; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota 
(Six component reservations: Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake); Fond du Lac 
Band; Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band; Mille Lacs Band; White Earth 
Band); Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; 
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (previously listed as Prairie Band of 
Potawatomi Nation, Kansas); Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota; Sac 
& Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, 
Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Seneca Nation of 
Indians (previously listed as Seneca Nation of New York); Seneca-Cayuga 
Nation (previously listed as Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma); Shawnee 
Tribe; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa 
Indians of Wisconsin; Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; 
Tonawanda Band of Seneca (previously listed as Tonawanda Band of Seneca 
Indians of New York); Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North 
Dakota; and the Wyandotte Nation, hereafter referred to as ``The 
Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    On September 9, 2017, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Harrisville Township, Alcona County, MI. 
The human remains (FA 054-17) were discovered during the excavation of 
a building site. Property owner Cheryl Lee Holmes notified the Alcona 
County Sheriff's office of the discovery. The human remains were 
transferred to Michigan State University's Forensic Anthropology 
Laboratory, where they were analyzed. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the Black site (20EA30), Sunfield 
Township, Eaton County, MI. Edward Black, the site's owner, encountered 
the human remains (4335.13) when plowing behind his barn. He 
transferred them to the Michigan State University Museum. A crew was 
subsequently sent to the site to test the burial location for any 
associated funerary objects. During excavation, it was discovered that 
the human remains had possibly been reinterred. Likely, the human 
remains were previously discovered during construction of a barn and 
reinterred where they were redisturbed during

[[Page 55482]]

plowing. No known individuals were identified. The 15 associated 
funerary objects are one .22 caliber cartridge, four lots of fire-
cracked rock fragments, seven flakes, one mineral, one unknown iron 
object, and one lot of iron wires.

Determinations Made by Michigan State University

    Officials of Michigan State University have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on biological evidence.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of three 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), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and any present-day Indian Tribe.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the 
Native American human remains were removed is the aboriginal land of 
the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.
     Treaties, Acts of Congress, or Executive Orders indicate 
that the land from which the Native American human remains were removed 
is the aboriginal land of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe 
of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin; Bay Mills 
Indian Community, Michigan; Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's 
Reservation, Montana (previously listed as Chippewa-Cree Indians of the 
Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana); Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and 
Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; 
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux Desert Band of 
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Little Shell Tribe of 
Chippewa Indians of Montana; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (Six 
component reservations: Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake); Fond du Lac Band; 
Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band; Mille Lacs Band; White Earth 
Band); Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; 
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota; Saginaw Chippewa Indian 
Tribe of Michigan; Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, 
Michigan; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa 
Indians of Wisconsin; and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians 
of North Dakota.
     According to other authoritative government sources, the 
land from which the Native American human remains were removed is the 
aboriginal land of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains may be to the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe 
of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin; Bay Mills 
Indian Community, Michigan; Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's 
Reservation, Montana (previously listed as Chippewa-Cree Indians of the 
Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana); Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and 
Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; 
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux Desert Band of 
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Little Shell Tribe of 
Chippewa Indians of Montana; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (Six component reservations: Bois Forte Band 
(Nett Lake); Fond du Lac Band; Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band; 
Mille Lacs Band; White Earth Band); Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior 
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, 
Minnesota; Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault Ste. Marie 
Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, 
Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; and the Turtle 
Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota (hereafter referred 
to as ``The Tribes'').

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian Tribes 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 Judith Stoddart, Associate Provost for University 
Collections and Arts Initiatives, Michigan State University, 466 W 
Circle Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824-1044, telephone (517) 432-2524, 
email [email protected], by October 8, 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.
    Michigan State University is responsible for notifying The Tribes, 
The Consulted Tribes and Groups, and The Invited Tribes that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: August 14, 2020.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020-19699 Filed 9-4-20; 8:45 am]
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