[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 213 (Monday, November 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61785-61786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24313]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0032968; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Boston University, Boston, MA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Boston University has completed an inventory of human remains, 
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 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 should submit a 
written request to Boston University. If no additional requestors come 
forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the non-Federally 
recognized Indian group 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 should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to Boston University 
at the address in this notice by December 8, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathryn M. Mellouk, Associate Vice 
President for Research Compliance, Boston University, One Silber Way, 
9th floor, Boston, MA 02215, telephone (617) 358-4730, 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 under 
the control of Boston University, Boston, MA. The human remains were 
removed from Grafton, Worcester County, MA, and from an unknown 
geographic location.
    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 10.9(e). 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. The National Park Service 
is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Boston 
University professional staff in consultation with representatives of 
the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe [previously listed as Mashantucket 
Pequot Tribe of Connecticut]; Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe [previously 
listed as Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.]; Mohegan Tribe 
of Indians of Connecticut [previously listed as Mohegan Indian Tribe of 
Connecticut]; Narragansett Indian Tribe; Seminole Tribe of Florida 
[previously listed as Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress, 
Brighton, Hollywood, & Tampa Reservations)]; Stockbridge Munsee 
Community, Wisconsin; Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah); and the 
Nipmuc Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian 
group recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. An invitation to 
consult was extended to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians and The 
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma but they did not participate. Hereafter, 
all the Indian Tribes and the non-federally recognized Indian group 
listed in this section are referred to as ``The Consulted and Notified 
Tribes and Group.''

History and Description of the Remains

    On an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Grafton, Worcester County, MA. In the 
spring of 2019, the human remains were found in a Boston University 
Archaeology Program collections storage area. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. At the time of 
the excavation and removal of these human remains, the land from which 
the human remains were removed was not the tribal land of any Indian 
Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. Boston University consulted with 
all Indian Tribes who are recognized as aboriginal to the area from 
which these Native American human remains were removed. These Tribes 
are the Mashantucket Pequot

[[Page 61786]]

Indian Tribe [previously listed as Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of 
Connecticut]; Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe [previously listed as Mashpee 
Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.]; Mohegan Tribe of Indians of 
Connecticut [previously listed as Mohegan Indian Tribe of Connecticut]; 
Narragansett Indian Tribe; Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; and 
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) (hereafter listed as ``The 
Aboriginal Land Tribes''). None of The Aboriginal Land Tribes agreed to 
accept control of the human remains.
    On an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from an unknown geographic location by an 
unknown individual. In January of 2020, the human remains, which had 
been housed in the University's Archaeology Program teaching facility 
lab, were identified as Native American. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Based on the 
available information, the land from which these human remains were 
removed is not the ``tribal land'' of an Indian Tribe or a Native 
Hawaiian organization, or the ``aboriginal land'' of an Indian Tribe 
pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11.
    Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3006(c)(5) and 43 CFR 10.10(g)(2)(ii), 
10.11(c)(2)(ii)(A), and 10.16(a), the Native American Graves Protection 
and Repatriation Review Committee (Review Committee) may make a 
recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) for 
specific actions for disposition of these human remains and associated 
funerary objects, including transfer of control to a non-federally 
recognized Indian group. In June 2021, Boston University requested that 
the Review Committee consider a proposal to transfer control of the 
human remains described in this notice to the Nipmuc Nation, 
Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group recognized 
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Review Committee carefully 
considered this request at its July 13, 2021 meeting and recommended to 
the Secretary that the proposed transfer of control proceed. An October 
19, 2021 letter transmitted the Secretary's independent review and 
concurrence with the Review Committee that:
     Boston University consulted with every appropriate Indian 
Tribe,
     none of The Aboriginal Land Tribes agreed to accept 
control of the human remains from Grafton, Worcester County, MA,
     none of The Aboriginal Land Tribes objected to the 
proposed transfer of control to the Nipmuc Nation, Hassanamisco Band, 
and
     Boston University may proceed with the agreed-upon 
transfer of control of the human remains to the Nipmuc Nation, 
Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group recognized 
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
    Transfer of control is contingent on the publication of a Notice of 
Inventory Completion in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that 
requirement.

Determinations Made by Boston University

    Officials of Boston University have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on biological evidence.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3003(e), 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(2), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and any present-day Indian Tribe.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11, the one individual removed from 
Grafton, Worcester County, MA, was removed from the ``aboriginal land'' 
of Indian Tribes, but none of those Indian Tribes agreed to accept 
control of the human remains, and none of those Indian Tribes objected 
to the proposed transfer of control of the human remains to the Nipmuc 
Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11, the one individual removed from 
an unknown location was not removed from the ``tribal land'' of any 
Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization, or the ``aboriginal land 
of any Indian Tribe.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.10(g)(2)(ii), 10.11(c)(2)(ii), and 
10.16, the disposition of the human remains will be to the Nipmuc 
Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group 
recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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 should submit a written request with information 
in support of the request to Kathryn M. Mellouk, Associate Vice 
President for Research Compliance, Boston University, One Silber Way, 
9th floor, Boston, MA 02215, telephone (617) 358-4730, email 
[email protected], by December 8, 2021. After that date, if no additional 
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 
to the Nipmuc Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized 
Indian group recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, may 
proceed.
    Boston University is responsible for notifying The Consulted and 
Notified Tribes and Group, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: October 29, 2021.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-24313 Filed 11-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P