[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30477-30478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11945]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0032043; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: The University of California, 
Berkeley; Berkeley, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The University of California, Berkeley 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 University of California, Berkeley. 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 University of California, Berkeley at the 
address in this notice by July 8, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Thomas Torma; University of 
California, Berkeley; Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 119 
California Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-1500, telephone (510) 672-5388, 
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 University of 
California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from Mercer County, NJ.
    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 
University of California, Berkeley professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe 
of Indians; and the Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin (hereafter 
referred to as ``The Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1904, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals 
were removed from Major Woodward's Farm and Squire Willey's Farm in 
Mercer County, NJ. They were collected by Ernest Volk as part of his 
annual excavations in the area. Although in most years during his 22-
year-long study, Volk's work was done under the supervision of 
Frederick Ward Putnam at Harvard University, for some unknown reason, 
all the materials Volk collected in 1904 were sent to the University of 
California. The human remains belong to four individuals of unknown age 
and sex. No known individuals were identified. The 713 associated 
funerary objects are one axe; one set of faunal remains; 87 pieces of 
flake and cobble; 109 pieces of flake and gravel; 190 pieces of flake 
and comb fragment; six pieces of flake and scraper; 44 pieces of flake 
and stone; 100 pieces of flake, hammerstone, and gravel; five flakes; 
one graver; two knives; 27 pieces of pebble, stone tools, and flake; 
one pestle; 27 points and flakes; 11 potsherds; one pottery fragment; 
two projectile points; five scrapers; seven spear points; 84 pieces of 
stone tools and flakes; and two stones.
    The preponderance of the evidence shows that these human remains 
and associated funerary objects are of Native American origin and date 
sometime between the middle woodland period and the early historic era. 
Mercer County, NJ, is the aboriginal territory of the Lenape, or 
Delaware people. Moreover, archeological, historic, linguistic, oral 
traditional, and other lines of evidence support a cultural affiliation 
of these human remains and objects with the Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; 
Delaware Tribe of Indians; and the Stockbridge Munsee Community, 
Wisconsin.

Determinations Made by the University of California, Berkeley

    Officials of the University of California, Berkeley have determined 
that:
     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 713 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 Tribes.

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 Dr. Thomas Torma; University of California, 
Berkeley; Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 119 California 
Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-1500, telephone (510) 672-5388, email 
[email protected], by July 8, 2021. 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 University of California, Berkeley is responsible for notifying 
The Tribes that this notice has been published.


[[Page 30478]]


    Dated: May 25, 2021.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-11945 Filed 6-7-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P