[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 138 (Thursday, July 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38755-38758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15571]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0032324; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: University of 
Denver Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, in 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations, has determined that the cultural items listed in this 
notice meet the definition of objects of cultural patrimony. Lineal 
descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim these 
cultural items should submit a written request to the University of 
Denver Museum of Anthropology. If no additional claimants come forward, 
transfer of control of the cultural items 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 
claim these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to the University of Denver Museum 
of Anthropology at the address in this notice by August 23, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Amati, University of Denver 
Museum of Anthropology, 2000 E Asbury Avenue, Sturm Hall 146, Denver, 
CO 80208, telephone (303) 871-2687, 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. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items under the 
control of the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO, 
that meet the definition of objects of cultural patrimony under 25 
U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site in the state of Arizona. At an unknown date, the item came into 
the possession of Kohlberg's Antique Store in Denver, CO, where it was 
purchased by Fallis F. Rees. In 1967, Mr. Rees donated the item to the 
University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. The one object of cultural 
patrimony is a dipper (DU# 3887). It is in the Gila Plain style and was 
likely produced between A.D. 200-1450, which encompasses the Hohokam 
cultural sequence.
    At unknown dates, 16 cultural items were removed from unknown sites 
in the state of Arizona. At unknown dates, the items came into the 
possession of

[[Page 38756]]

Fallis F. Rees who, in 1967, donated the items to the University of 
Denver Museum of Anthropology. The 16 objects of cultural patrimony are 
one effigy bowl (DU# 3902), one miniature bowl (DU# 3906), one jar (DU# 
3908), one shell needle (DU# 3916), one shell pendant (DU#3917a), two 
medicine stones (DU#3919a and b), one bowl (DU# 3926), one ax (DU# 
3951), two figurine fragments (DU#3980 and 3981b), one basket (DU# 
5762), one jar (DU#3881), one miniature pitcher (DU#4108), one fragment 
of amber (DU#2669), and one stone ruler (DU#2671). The 16 objects of 
cultural patrimony are consistent with the material type and 
manufacture techniques of Hohokam material culture.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site in the state of Arizona. At an unknown date, the one item came 
into the possession of the Original Curio Store in Santa Fe, NM, where 
it was purchased by Fallis F. Rees. In 1967, Mr. Rees donated the item 
to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. The one object of 
cultural patrimony is a ceremonial container (DU# 3922). It is 
consistent with the material type and manufacture techniques of Hohokam 
material culture.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site in the state of Arizona. At an unknown date, the item came into 
the possession of Gladys Hicks, who gifted it to Fallis F. Rees. In 
1967, Mr. Rees donated the item to the University of Denver Museum of 
Anthropology. The one object of cultural patrimony is a pipe stem (DU# 
4092). It is consistent with the material type and manufacture 
techniques of Hohokam material culture.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from Casa 
Malpais, near Springerville in Apache County, AZ. At an unknown date, 
the item came into the possession of Fallis F. Rees who, in 1967, 
donated the item to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. 
The one object of cultural patrimony is a vesicular basalt phallus (DU# 
3940). Casa Malpais is a late Mogollon habitation site which was 
occupied from A.D. 1250 to 1400 and encompasses the Hohokam sequence.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site in the Mojave Desert, either in Arizona or California. At an 
unknown date, G. and T. Cox obtained the item from the E.R. Callahan 
Collection. At an unknown date, G. and T. Cox gifted the item to Fallis 
F. Rees, and in 1967, Mr. Rees donated it to the University of Denver 
Museum of Anthropology. The one object of cultural patrimony is a human 
figure jar (DU#4109). It is consistent with the material type and 
manufacture techniques of Hohokam material culture.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site at Roosevelt Lake in Gila County, AZ. At an unknown date, the item 
came into the possession of Fallis F. Rees who, in 1967, donated the 
item to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. The one object 
of cultural patrimony is a stone phallus (DU# 3977). It is consistent 
with the material type and manufacture techniques of Hohokam material 
culture.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site in Maricopa County, AZ. In 1951, the item was accessioned by the 
University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. The one object of cultural 
patrimony is a drum basket (DU#1675). It is consistent with the 
material type and manufacture techniques of Hohokam material culture. 
The form and decoration are consistent with items attributable to the 
Akimel O'odham, aka Pima, of the Gila River Indian Community of the 
Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona.
    At an unknown date, two cultural items were removed from the Agua 
Fria River Cliffs in Maricopa County, AZ. According to museum records, 
the items were found ``seven miles north of Highway 70, 80, and 93.'' 
At an unknown date, the items came into the possession of Omar Turney, 
a Phoenix archeologist and engineer who studied prehistoric irrigation 
canals in the Salt River Valley. At an unknown date, Turney transferred 
the two items to Frank Midvale, a Casa Grande Monument ranger and 
archeologist who had been Turney's student at Arizona State University 
(ASU). In 1963, Midvale was dispersing his collection to various 
museums and began sending material to Fallis F. Rees. In 1967, Mr. Rees 
donated the item to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. 
The two objects of cultural patrimony are petroglyphs (DU# 4295a-b). 
They are consistent with the material type and manufacture techniques 
of Hohokam material culture.
    At an unknown date, two cultural items were removed from a location 
near La Ciudad (Grande) Ruin in Maricopa County, AZ. At unknown dates, 
one of the cultural items came into the possession of Fallis F. Rees 
and the other cultural item came into the possession of Frank Midvale. 
In 1963, Midvale was dispersing his collection to various museums and 
began sending material to Fallis F. Rees. In 1967, Mr. Rees donated the 
two items to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. The two 
objects of cultural patrimony are: One medicine stone (DU# 3979) and 
one stone phallus (DU#3975). La Ciudad (Grande) Ruin is a prehistoric 
Hohokam habitation site which was occupied from A.D. 200-1450.
    At an unknown date, two cultural items were removed from ``Gila 
Bend Pyramid'' in Maricopa County, AZ, by Dr. William Wasley. Based on 
archival research, museum staff believes that ``Gila Bend Pyramid'' is 
a reference to the Hohokam Platform Mound at the Gatlin Site, located 
three miles north of Gila Bend, AZ. At an unknown date the items came 
into the possession of Frank Midvale. In 1963, Midvale was dispersing 
his collection to various museums and began sending material to Fallis 
F. Rees. In 1967, Mr. Rees donated the items to the University of 
Denver Museum of Anthropology. The two objects of cultural patrimony 
are copper bells (DU# 3914a&b). Gatlin site is a prehistoric Hohokam 
habitation site which was occupied from A.D. 800-1200.
    At an unknown date, two cultural items were removed from a ditch 
near Mesa Grande Ruin in Maricopa County, AZ. At an unknown date, the 
items came into the possession of Frank Midvale. In 1963, Midvale was 
dispersing his collection to various museums and began sending material 
to Fallis F. Rees. In 1967, Mr. Rees donated the two items to the 
University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. The two objects of 
cultural patrimony are one jar (DU# 3888a) and one bowl sherd (DU# 
3888b). Mesa Grande Ruin is a prehistoric Hohokam habitation site which 
was occupied from A.D. 1100-1400.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site near Phoenix in Maricopa County, AZ. At an unknown date, the item 
came into the possession of Fallis F. Rees who, in 1967, donated the 
item to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. The one object 
of cultural patrimony is a stone censer (DU# 3978) identified as 
belonging to the Santa Cruz-Sacaton period--an identification 
consistent with the Hohokam cultural sequence--and produced between 
A.D. 800-1100.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from the ruins on 
the north side of the Salt River opposite Mesa, in Maricopa County, AZ. 
At an unknown date, the item came into the

[[Page 38757]]

possession of Frank Midvale. In 1963, Midvale was dispersing his 
collection to various museums and began sending material to Fallis F. 
Rees. In 1967, Mr. Rees donated the item to the University of Denver 
Museum of Anthropology. The one object of cultural patrimony is a shell 
bracelet fragment (DU# 3982). It is consistent with the material type 
and manufacture techniques of Hohokam material culture.
    Between 1920 and 1947, three cultural items were removed from an 
unknown site northwest of Peoria in Maricopa County, AZ, by E.B. 
Renaud, during an archeological expedition sponsored by the University 
of Denver. Museum records document the site as ``on first level above 
wash, half mile square, pit house of transitional type (oblong with 
rounded corners) colonial and sedentary Hohokam.'' The three objects of 
cultural patrimony are three stone palette fragments (DU# misc. coll. 
AZ25-2.2) identified as belonging to the Colonial-Sedentary period--an 
identification consistent with the Hohokam cultural sequence--and 
produced between A.D. 700-1150.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from Walker 
School Ruin near Phoenix, in Maricopa County, AZ. At an unknown date, 
the item came into the possession of Fallis F. Rees who, in 1967, 
donated the item to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. 
The one object of cultural patrimony is red ochre (DU# 3936). It is 
consistent with the material type and manufacture techniques of Hohokam 
material culture.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from the Salt 
River Valley near Phoenix, in Maricopa County, AZ. At an unknown date, 
the item came into the possession of Fallis F. Rees who, in 1967, 
donated the item to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. 
The one object of cultural patrimony is a stone palette fragment (DU# 
3985). The form and decoration are consistent with the Hohokam cultural 
sequence between 300 B.C. to A.D. 1100.
    At an unknown date, two cultural items were removed from Cashion 
Ruin near the juncture of the Gila, Salt, and Fria Rivers, in Maricopa 
County, AZ. At an unknown date, the items came into the possession of 
Fallis F. Rees who, in 1967, donated the items to the University of 
Denver Museum of Anthropology. The two objects of cultural patrimony 
are figurine fragments (DU# 3918a & b). They are consistent with the 
material type and manufacture techniques of Hohokam material culture.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site at Blackwater in Pinal County, AZ. At an unknown date, the item 
came into the possession of Frank Midvale. In 1963, Midvale was 
dispersing his collection to various museums and began sending material 
to Fallis F. Rees. In 1967, Rees donated the item to the University of 
Denver Museum of Anthropology. The one object of cultural patrimony is 
a bird figurine (DU# 4106). It is consistent with the material type and 
manufacture techniques of Hohokam material culture.
    At unknown dates, two cultural items were removed from unknown 
sites in the state of Arizona. At unknown dates, the items came into 
the possession of Frank Midvale, Casa Grande Monument ranger and 
archeologist. In 1963, Midvale was dispersing his collection to various 
museums and began sending material to Fallis F. Rees. In 1967, Rees 
donated the items to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. 
The two objects of cultural patrimony are one figurine fragment (DU# 
3983) and one bowl (DU# 3912). The figurine fragment (DU# 3983) is 
identified as belonging to the Estrella period and was produced between 
300 B.C. to A.D. 550. The bowl (DU#3912) is identified as Santa Cruz 
red-on-buff ware and was produced between A.D. 700-900. Both objects 
fall within the Hohokam cultural sequence.
    At an unknown date, one cultural item was removed from an unknown 
site in either southeastern Arizona or southwestern New Mexico. At an 
unknown date, the item came into the possession of Fallis F. Rees who, 
in 1967, donated the item to the University of Denver Museum of 
Anthropology. The one object of cultural patrimony is one lot of beads 
(DU# 4299). This object is consistent with the material type and 
manufacture techniques of Hohokam material culture.
    At unknown dates, eight cultural items were removed from unknown 
sites either near the Gila River or in the Gila Valley, in southwestern 
Arizona. At unknown dates, the items came into the possession of Fallis 
F. Rees who, in 1967, donated them to the University of Denver Museum 
of Anthropology. The eight objects of cultural patrimony are one 
sandstone ball (DU# 3964), one mano (DU# 3974), one medicine stone (DU# 
4204), four pendants (DU# 3931a-b & e-f), and one ram-head figurine 
(DU# 3981a).
    The ram-head figurine (DU# 3981a) is an effigy form associated with 
the Gila River area near the Estrella Mountains (Komadke) and South 
Mountain Range (Muahadag).The sandstone ball (DU# 3964) is culturally 
affiliated with the Akimel O'odham, aka Pima, of the Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona. The mano (DU# 
3974), medicine stone (DU# 4204), and four pendants (DU# 3931a-b & e-f) 
are consistent with the material type and manufacture techniques of 
Hohokam material culture.
    All of the cultural items described above have ongoing historical, 
traditional, or cultural importance central to the Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Reservation, Arizona and the Salt River 
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona 
rather than being property owned by an individual.
    The Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian 
Reservation, Arizona, and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community 
of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona have requested the repatriation 
of the cultural items described above as follows: The Gila River Indian 
Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, has requested 
DU#s 1675, 1691, 2669, 2671, 3881, 3906, 3908, 3912, 3936, 3940, 3951, 
3964, 3974, 3978, 3979, 3982, 3983, 3985, 4106, 4204, 4299, 3917a, 
3918a-b, 3931a-b, 3931e-f, 3981a-b, and misc. coll. AZ25-2.2; the Salt 
River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, 
Arizona, has requested DU#s 3926, 3975, 3977, 3888a-b, 3914a-b, 3919a-
b, and 4295a-b; and jointly, the Gila River Indian Community of the 
Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona, and the Salt River Pima-
Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona, have 
requested DU#s 3887, 3902, 3916, 3922, 3980, 4092, 4108, 4109, and 
5762.

Determinations Made by the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology

    Officials of the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(D), the 52 cultural items 
described above have ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural 
importance central to the Native American group or culture itself, 
rather than property owned by an individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the objects 
of cultural patrimony and the Gila River Indian Community of the Gila 
River Reservation, Arizona and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 
Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona (hereafter referred to 
as ``The Tribes'').

[[Page 38758]]

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim 
these cultural items should submit a written request with information 
in support of the claim to Anne Amati, University of Denver Museum of 
Anthropology, 2000 E Asbury Avenue, Sturm Hall 146, Denver, CO 80208, 
telephone (303) 871-2687, email [email protected], by August 23, 2021. 
After that date, if no additional claimants have come forward, transfer 
of control of the objects of cultural patrimony to The Tribes may 
proceed.
    The University of Denver Museum of Anthropology is responsible for 
notifying The Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: July 14, 2021.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-15571 Filed 7-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P