[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22254-22256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08776]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0031786; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: San Bernardino County Museum, 
Redlands, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) 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 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 the San Bernardino County 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 the San Bernardino County Museum at the 
address in this notice by May 27, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Tamara Serrao-Leiva, San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 
Orange Tree Lane, Redlands, CA 92374, telephone (909) 798-8623, 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 San Bernardino 
County Museum, Redlands, CA. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from San Bernardino County, CA.
    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 the San 
Bernardino County Museum professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the 
Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, California; Cabazon Band of Mission 
Indians, California; Cahuilla Band of Indians [previously listed as 
Cahuilla Band of

[[Page 22255]]

Mission Indians of the Cahuilla Reservation, California]; Morongo Band 
of Mission Indians, California [previously listed as Morongo Band of 
Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Morongo Reservation]; San Manuel Band 
of Mission Indians, California [previously listed as San Manual Band of 
Serrano Mission Indians of the San Manual Reservation]; Santa Rosa Band 
of Cahuilla Indians, California [previously listed as Santa Rosa Band 
of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Santa Rosa Reservation]; and the 
Mission Creek Band of Mission Indians, a non-federally recognized 
Indian group. The Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California 
[previously listed as Augustine Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the 
Augustine Reservation]; Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno 
Indians, California [previously listed as Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla 
& Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes Reservation]; Ramona Band of 
Cahuilla, California [previously listed as Ramona Band or Village of 
Cahuilla Mission Indians of California]; and the Torres Martinez Desert 
Cahuilla Indians, California [previously listed as Torres-Martinez Band 
of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California] were invited to consult, but 
did not participate. Hereafter, all the Indian Tribes and groups listed 
above are referred to as ``The Consulted and Invited Tribes and 
Groups.''

History and Description of the Remains

    On October 4, 1957, during the course of digging a reservoir, human 
remains representing, at minimum, two individuals were removed from the 
El Casco Dam Property (SBCM-118; CA-SBR-179) in San Bernardino County, 
CA. At some point, the human remains were comingled. One of the 
individuals is a child whose identity is unknown. The other individual, 
an adult, is identified as Juan Antonio Costo by a SBCM label reading 
``Remains of Juan Antonio.'' (When collected, the child's bones might 
have been assumed to be those of Juan Antonio Costo.) The 32 associated 
funerary objects are one epaulette, two lots of fabric fragments, one 
lot of beads, one bell, two rings, four coins, four buttons, three lots 
of varied ceramic, one lot of micro beads, one lot of mixed beads, five 
nails, three lots of fragmented metal, one lot of buttons, one spoon, 
one metal cup fragment, and one military belt buckle and hardware. The 
remains of the adult identified as Juan Antonio Costo were found with 
the epaulette in situ.
    Juan Antonio Costo was the last Hereditary Chief of the Cahuilla. 
In 1851, he moved his band to the village of Sahat'pa, in San Timoteo 
Canyon, where the El Casco Dam Property is located. Sahat'pa, a 
historic Cahuilla village and cemetery occupied by Mountain Cahuillas, 
remained under the leadership of Juan Antonio from 1851 until his death 
during the smallpox epidemic of early 1863. A SBCMA publication relates 
that an American General Bean gifted Juan Antonio many presents, 
including an officer's army coat and epaulettes, ``which he wore 
proudly on all state occasions.''
    The 1960's site record for CA-SBR-179 states that ``[a]ll the dead 
of Juan Antonio's band'' where found in burial contexts. The 
archeological field notes describe seven burials, and note that many 
others were heavily destroyed by tractor activity. (The location of the 
remains from those burials is unknown.) Subsequently, the site became 
registered California State Historic Site, No. 749.
    Today, the Cahuilla are represented by the Agua Caliente Band of 
Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, California; 
Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California [previously listed as 
Augustine Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Augustine 
Reservation]; Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, California; Cahuilla 
Band of Indians [previously listed as Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians 
of the Cahuilla Reservation, California]; Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla 
and Cupeno Indians, California [previously listed as Los Coyotes Band 
of Cahuilla & Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes Reservation]; Morongo 
Band of Mission Indians, California [previously listed as Morongo Band 
of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Morongo Reservation]; Ramona Band of 
Cahuilla, California [previously listed as Ramona Band or Village of 
Cahuilla Mission Indians of California]; Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla 
Indians, California [previously listed as Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla 
Mission Indians of the Santa Rosa Reservation]; and the Torres Martinez 
Desert Cahuilla Indians, California [previously listed as Torres-
Martinez Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California]. Through 
consultation with representatives of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla 
Indians, SBCM has identified Orlando Anthony Largo, Lorraine Lobbins, 
Leon Scribner, Lois Scribner Odom, and Vivian Hamilton as the lineal 
descendants of Juan Antonio Costo, and through consultation with 
representatives of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, SBCM has also 
identified a sixth lineal descendant of Juan Antonio Costo, Mara Costo.

Determinations Made by the San Bernardino County Museum

    Personnel of the San Bernardino County 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 32 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 Agua 
Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian 
Reservation, California; Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California 
[previously listed as Augustine Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the 
Augustine Reservation]; Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, California; 
Cahuilla Band of Indians [previously listed as Cahuilla Band of Mission 
Indians of the Cahuilla Reservation, California]; Los Coyotes Band of 
Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians, California [previously listed as Los 
Coyotes Band of Cahuilla & Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes 
Reservation]; Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California [previously 
listed as Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Morongo 
Reservation]; Ramona Band of Cahuilla, California [previously listed as 
Ramona Band or Village of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California]; 
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, California [previously listed as 
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Santa Rosa 
Reservation]; and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, 
California [previously listed as Torres-Martinez Band of Cahuilla 
Mission Indians of California] (hereafter referred to as ``The 
Affiliated Tribes'').
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2(b)(1) and 10.14(b), Orlando 
Anthony Largo, Lorraine Lobbins, Leon Scribner, Lois Scribner Odom, 
Vivian Hamilton, and Mara Costo are the direct lineal descendants of 
Juan Antonio Costo; hereafter, they are referred to as ``The Lineal 
Descendants.''

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

[[Page 22256]]

the request to Tamara Serrao-Leiva, San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 
Orange Tree Lane, Redlands, CA 92373, telephone (909) 798-8623, email 
[email protected], by May 27, 2021. After that date, if 
no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains of Juan Antonio Costa and the associated funerary objects 
to The Lineal Descendants or The Affiliated Tribes, and transfer of 
control of the human remains of the child and the associated funerary 
objects to The Affiliated Tribes may proceed.
    The San Bernardino County Museum is responsible for notifying The 
Consulted and Invited Tribes and Groups and The Lineal Descendants that 
this notice has been published.

    Dated: April 19, 2021.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-08776 Filed 4-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P