[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 179 (Tuesday, September 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57230-57231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20295]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0030672; 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 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 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 should submit a 
written request to Michigan State University. If no additional 
requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 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 should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to Michigan State 
University at the address in this notice by October 15, 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 under 
the control of Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. The human 
remains were removed from Gogebic 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. 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; Little Shell Tribe of 
Chippewa Indians of Montana; 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

    In April and May of 1990, human remains representing, at minimum, 
one individual were removed from Wakefield, Gogebic County, MI. On June 
25, 1990, Bonnie Elizabeth Demerath discovered the human remains in a 
bag of topsoil delivered to her from the Wakefield Department of Public 
Works. The topsoil had removed from atop graves located at Lakeside 
Cemetery on old US-2 in Wakefield, and had been deposited on the 
easterly border of the cemetery. Subsequently, 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.

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 one individual of 
Native American ancestry.
     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

[[Page 57231]]

of Federal Claims, 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.
     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.
     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; 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 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 15, 
2020. After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains 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. 2020-20295 Filed 9-14-20; 8:45 am]
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