[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 120 (Friday, June 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33734-33736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13510]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0032105; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Oregon State University, 
Corvallis, OR

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Oregon State University NAGPRA Office 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

[[Page 33735]]

request to the Oregon State University NAGPRA Office. 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 Oregon State University NAGPRA Office at 
the address in this notice by July 26, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dawn Marie Alapisco, Oregon State 
University NAGPRA Office, 106 Gilkey Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, 
telephone (541) 737-4075, 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 Oregon State 
University, Corvallis, OR. The human remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed from the City of Bandon, Coos County, Oregon.
    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 Oregon 
State University Department of Anthropology and NAGPRA Office 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon [previously listed as 
Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Reservation] and the Coquille Indian 
Tribe [previously listed as Coquille Tribe of Oregon]. The Burns Paiute 
Tribe [previously listed as Burns Paiute Tribe of the Burns Paiute 
Indian Colony of Oregon]; Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua 
and Siuslaw Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community 
of Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation 
[previously listed as Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, 
Oregon]; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; 
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians [previously listed as Cow 
Creek Band of Umpqua Indians of Oregon]; and the Klamath Tribes were 
invited to consult but did not participate. Hereafter, the above listed 
Indian Tribes are referred to as ``The Consulted and Invited Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    Between 1978 and 2001, Dr. Roberta Hall of the Oregon State 
University Anthropology Department conducted seven excavation seasons 
at Site 35CS043, which is located in the City of Bandon, Coos County, 
OR. Altogether, five areas, designated A through E, were excavated.
    In June 2001, human remains representing, at minimum, three 
individuals were removed from 35CS043 by the Department of Anthropology 
at Oregon State University (OSU). The exact provenience of these human 
remains is not fully documented, as the human remains were only labeled 
Rogge Mill and backfill. This excavation was undertaken in response to 
a city project that unearthed human remains and associated funerary 
objects. All three individuals are adults, but their ages and sex could 
not be ascertained, as the remains were minimal and fragmentary. No 
known individuals were identified. The three associated funerary 
objects are one faunal fragmented bone, one lot of faunal remains 
intermixed with charcoal and shell fragments, and one lot of faunal 
remains.
    In 1988, human remains representing, at minimum, three individuals 
were removed from 35CS043A by the Department of Anthropology at OSU 
with the aid of the City of Bandon and the Coquille Indian Tribe. The 
excavation discovered what appeared to be the partial reburial of an 
individual who had been partially exhumed during some past construction 
in the area. This individual (assigned burial number 13) was 
approximately 25-30 years of age at the time of death and of 
indeterminate sex indeterminate. A second individual was a sub-adult of 
indeterminate sex, and a third individual was a fetus or very young 
infant of indeterminate sex. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1990, human remains representing, at minimum, seven individuals 
were removed from 35CS043B by the Department of Anthropology at OSU 
with the aid of the Coquille Indian Tribe. One of the individuals 
(assigned burial number 14), a male, was approximately 50 years of age 
at the time of death. With the approval of the Coquille Indian Tribe, a 
small bone sample was sent to Beta Analytic for radiocarbon dating with 
a result of a 95% confidence interval that he died between 550 and 370 
BCE. A second individual was a sub-adult of indeterminate sex, and the 
remaining five individuals could not be aged, sexed, or dated. No known 
individuals were identified. The 28 associated funerary objects are one 
clay pipe fragment, one lot of faunal remains, one lot of flakes, one 
lot of mixed stone and bone technologies, one point, one soil sample, 
15 lots of worked bone tools, one lot of worked CCS fragments, and six 
worked stone tools.
    In 1986, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals 
were removed from 35CS043C by the Department of Anthropology at OSU at 
the request of the City of Bandon and the Coquille Indian Tribe. In May 
of 1986 a City of Bandon construction project to expand underground 
power lines unearthed human skeletal remains. Three graves were 
unearthed before the construction crew realized that they had disturbed 
a burial site. (Human remains from four additional graves found during 
the OSU-led excavations were reburied by the Coquille Indian Tribe). 
The human remains of these four individuals were misidentified in the 
field and were curated at OSU with non-human, archeological materials 
from the site. One of the individuals is a sub-adult of indeterminate 
sex, and the other three individuals are of indeterminate age and sex. 
No known individuals were identified. The seven associated funerary 
objects are two lots of faunal remains, one lot of mixed wood and stone 
technology, one lot of shell beads, one soil sample, and two lots of 
worked bone.
    In 1991, human remains representing, at minimum two individuals 
were removed from 35CS043E by the Department of Anthropology at OSU. 
One individual (assigned burial number 15) was approximately 23-26 
years of age at the time of death and of indeterminate sex. The second 
individual could not be aged or sexed. No known individuals were 
identified. The two associated funerary objects are one lot of worked 
bone tools and one worked bone wedge fragment.
    Site 35CS043 has a very long occupation history. Radiocarbon dating 
samples sent to Beta Analytics by Dr. Roberta Hall show occupation as 
early as 2310-1660 BCE. This site was one of three Coquille villages 
that made up the Nasomah Complex. All three villages

[[Page 33736]]

were attacked by miners on January 28, 1854, during the Nasomah 
massacre; up to 21 tribal individuals were reported killed.
    The Coos Bay Indians are the ancestors of the present-day Coquille 
Indian Tribe. They spoke Miluk, a Penutian dialect, and the Coquille/
Tututni dialect of Athabaskan. The split between Miluk (Lower Coquille) 
and Athapaskan (Upper Coquille) is around Randolph Island on the 
Coquille River. The Coos Bay Indians (now known as the Coquille Indian 
Tribe) claimed the territory two miles south of the lower Coquille 
River in a 1935 case before the U.S. Court of Claims. After its Federal 
recognition was terminated by an Act of Congress in 1954 (finalized 
1956), the Coquille Indian Tribe was officially restored to recognized 
status in 1989.
    The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon are a 
confederation of more than 30 bands whose ancestral territory ranged 
along the entire Oregon coast and Coast Range, inland to the main 
divide of the Cascade Range and southward to the Rogue River watershed. 
The principal constituents include the Clatsop, Chinook, Klickitat, 
Molala, Kalapuya, Tillamook, Alsea, Siuslaw/Lower Umpqua, Coos, 
Coquille, Upper Umpqua, Tututni, Chetco, Tolowa, Takelma or Upper Rogue 
River, Galice/Applegate, and Shasta. Ancestors of the Confederated 
Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon spoke at least 10 different base 
languages, many of which had strong dialectic divisions even within the 
same language. In general, five linguistic stocks--Salish, Penutian, 
Hokan, Sahaptin, and Athabaskan--are represented by the Tribes 
confederated at the Siletz Reservation. The Tribes were forcibly 
removed from their homelands in 1855 by the U.S. Government and placed 
on the Siletz Reservation. After their Federal recognition was 
terminated by an Act of Congress in 1954 (finalized 1956), the 
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon were officially 
restored to recognized status in 1977.

Determinations Made by Oregon State University

    Officials of Oregon State University have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 19 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 40 associated 
funerary 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 
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon [previously listed as 
Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Reservation] and the Coquille Indian 
Tribe [previously listed as Coquille Tribe of Oregon] (hereafter 
referred to as ``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 Dawn Marie Alapisco, Oregon State University 
NAGPRA Office, 106 Gilkey Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, telephone (541) 
737-4075, email [email protected], by July 26, 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 Oregon State University NAGPRA Office is responsible for 
notifying The Consulted and Invited Tribes that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: June 9, 2021.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-13510 Filed 6-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P