[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 209 (Wednesday, October 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68360-68361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23825]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0031017; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Ball State University, Department 
of Anthropology, Muncie, IN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Ball State University, Department of Anthropology 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 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 Ball State University, Department of 
Anthropology. 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 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 Ball State University, Department of Anthropology at 
the address in this notice by November 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Kevin C. Nolan, Ball State University, Department of 
Anthropology, 2000 University Avenue, Muncie, IN 47306, telephone (765) 
285-5325, 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 Ball State 
University, Department of Anthropology, Muncie, IN. The human remains 
and associated funerary objects were removed from the vicinities of 
Strawtown, Hamilton County and Middletown, Henry County, IN.
    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 the Ball 
State University, Department of Anthropology professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, 
Oklahoma; Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; and 
the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana (hereafter 
referred to as ``The Consulted Tribes'').
    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; Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Cherokee 
Nation; Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana 
(previously listed as Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's 
Reservation, Montana); Delaware Tribe of Indians; Eastern Band Of 
Cherokee Indians; Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand 
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Kaw Nation, 
Oklahoma; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; 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; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
Michigan; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (Six component 
reservations: Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake); Fond du Lac Band;

[[Page 68361]]

Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band; Mille Lacs Band; White Earth 
Band); Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan (previously 
listed as Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); Omaha Tribe of Nebraska; Ottawa 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of 
Indians of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; Prairie Band Potawatomi 
Nation (previously listed as Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, 
Kansas); Quapaw Nation (previously listed as The Quapaw Tribe of 
Indians); Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, California 
& Arizona; 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; Saginaw Chippewa Indian 
Tribe of Michigan; Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, 
Michigan; 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; The Osage Nation (previously listed as Osage 
Tribe); Tonawanda Band of Seneca (previously listed as Tonawanda Band 
of Seneca Indians of New York); Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa 
Indians of North Dakota; Tuscarora Nation; United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma; and the Wyandotte Nation (hereafter 
referred to as ``The Invited Tribes'') were invited to consult but did 
not participate.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1938 or 1939, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the vicinity of Strawtown in Hamilton 
County, IN. They were excavated by Cloe Morris. In 1987, these human 
remains (denoted accession 87.49) were donated to the Ball State 
University Department of Anthropology via James Hixon. The human 
remains consist of the partial crania of a 25-year-old adult male and a 
9-10-year-old juvenile of unknown sex. No known individuals were 
identified. The 97 associated funerary objects are one antler beam, 79 
miscellaneous animal bone fragments, five mussel shells, eight pieces 
of chert debitage, three pottery sherds, and one ash sample.
    In 1985, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from the vicinity of Middletown in Henry County, IN. These 
individuals were recovered during a salvage effort, after the human 
remains were exposed and disturbed during earth moving activities on 
private land. These human remains were recovered from a burial pit. 
(Two additional burial pits lacking coffins and grave markers were 
reported on the site form.) While no artifacts were recovered to 
provide a date range, both the nature of the site and the morphology of 
the burial pits indicate a likely pre-Colonial period Native American 
occupation (the investigators, Sharon Fields and Donald Cochran, 
suspected a Late Archaic or Late Woodland date). Since their 
excavation, the human remains have been curated at the Ball State 
University, Department of Anthropology under accession 12-Hn-349. The 
human remains consist of comingled cranial and post-cranial fragments 
of a 29-45-year-old adult female and a 29-45-year-old adult of unknown 
sex. No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.

Determinations Made by the Ball State University, Department of 
Anthropology

    Officials of the Ball State University, Department of Anthropology 
have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on their association with 
prehistoric artifacts and animal bone, the nature of the site (12-Hn-
349 is suspected Late Archaic or Late Woodland) where they were 
discovered, and the absence of historic Euroamerican artifacts and 
modern dental or surgical modifications to the human remains.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of four individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 97 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 associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects were 
removed is the aboriginal land of the Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; 
Delaware Tribe of Indians; and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects may be to the Delaware 
Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe of Indians; and the Miami Tribe of 
Oklahoma (hereafter referred to as ``The Tribes'').

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    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 Kevin C. 
Nolan, Ball State University, Department of Anthropology, 2000 
University Avenue, Muncie, IN 47306, telephone (765) 285-5325, email 
[email protected], by November 27, 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 Ball State University, Department of Anthropology is 
responsible for notifying The Consulted Tribes and The Invited Tribes 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: October 9, 2020.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020-23825 Filed 10-27-20; 8:45 am]
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