[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3119-3121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01044]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0033281; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Fort Lewis College has completed an inventory of 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 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 associated funerary objects should submit 
a written request to the Fort Lewis College. If no additional 
requestors come forward, transfer of control of the 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 associated funerary objects should 
submit a written request with information in support of the request to 
Fort Lewis College at the address in this notice by February 22, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Kathleen Fine-Dare, NAGPRA 
Liaison, Fort Lewis College, 205 Center of

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Southwest Studies, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO 81301, telephone (970) 
247-7438, 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 associated funerary 
objects under the control of Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO. The 
associated funerary objects were removed from La Plata County and 
Dolores County, CO.
    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 associated funerary objects was made 
by Fort Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies professional staff 
in partnership with NAGPRA archeological specialist Blythe Morrison and 
in eight separate written letter/email consultations with 
representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, 
New Mexico; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; Ohkay Owingeh, 
New Mexico [previously listed as Pueblo of San Juan]; Pueblo of Acoma, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San 
Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Santo Domingo Pueblo [previously 
listed as Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico and as Pueblo of Santo Domingo]; 
Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; 
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah; Ute Mountain 
Ute Tribe [previously listed as Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah]; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo 
[previously listed as Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas]; and the Zuni 
Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.
    In addition, several face-to-face consultation meetings were held 
at Fort Lewis College to review the collections. On August 30, 2018, 
representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; and the Southern Ute Indian 
Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado were able to review the 
associated funerary objects (at that time they were still categorized 
as unassociated funerary objects included with the Homer Root 
Collection). On September 6-7, 2018 (Zuni Tribe of the Zuni 
Reservation, New Mexico); September 13, 2018 (Ute Indian Tribe of the 
Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo [previously 
listed as Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas]); October 4, 2018 (Navajo 
Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 
[previously listed as Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah]); October 9, 2018 (Pueblo of 
Santa Clara, New Mexico); and May 14, 2019 (Pueblo of Laguna, New 
Mexico and Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico).
    Hereafter all Indian Tribes listed in this section are referred to 
as ``The Consulted Tribes.''

History and Description of the Associated Funerary Objects

    This notice concerns seven objects that are associated with human 
remains that were in the possession of the La Plata County Historical 
Society, Durango, Colorado. A Notice of Inventory Completion for the 
human remains was published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2018 
(83 FR 14490-14492), and the human remains have been repatriated to the 
Hopi Tribe of Arizona.
    In September of 1936, human remains representing, at minimum, 22 
individuals were excavated from a burial site within the city limits of 
Durango, CO. The excavation was carried out at the Ignacio site (12:18) 
by members of the National Youth Administration under the supervision 
of Helen Sloan Daniels, an avocational archeological enthusiast, in 
anticipation of the creation of a gravel pit operated by the City of 
Durango. (In 2017, the site was given Smithsonian Site Number 
5LP11284.) The site, which contained a pit structure, a midden, and 
several room blocks, has been identified as belonging to the late 
Basketmaker III or early Pueblo I period.
    After being disinterred, the human remains were taken to the 
Durango Public Library for cleaning, display, and storage. At some 
unknown time, the human remains were transferred to the private 
residence of Helen Sloan Daniels in Durango, CO. In 1989, they were 
donated to the La Plata County Historical Society. In 1962, six of the 
associated funerary objects were donated to the Fort Lewis College 
Museum, and in 2001, they were transferred to the Fort Lewis College 
Center of Southwest Studies (CSWS).
    These six associated funerary objects have been determined to be 
associated with the remains of four children that were in the 
possession of the La Plata County Historical Society. The six 
unassociated funerary objects are two Rosa Grayware jars, two Rosa 
Grayware pitchers, one Rosa Grayware bowl, and one Rosa Black-on-White 
bowl. Pottery attributes indicate that the objects were manufactured 
during the Basketmaker III/Pueblo I period, A.D. 500-900.
    In 1937, human remains representing at minimum, 27 individuals were 
excavated from an archeological site on private land (``Sago School'') 
in Dove Creek, Dolores County, CO. National Youth Administration (NYA) 
workers, under the supervision of archeological enthusiast Lola 
Sanders, removed the burial items for the Durango Public Library Museum 
Project. At least one associated funerary object, a Mesa Verde Black-
on-White bowl (1962:02111), was given to the Durango Public Library by 
Sanders. At an unknown date, Helen Sloan Daniels donated the bowl to 
the Fort Lewis College Museum. The bowl's current location unknown. The 
human remains of the 27 individuals with which it is associated are 
currently in the care of the La Plata County Historical Society. The 
one associated funerary object (FLC Catalogue #1962:02112) is a Mesa 
Verde Black-on-White mug. Pottery attributes indicate that the mug was 
manufactured during the Pueblo II period, A.D. 900-1150.
    These associated funerary objects listed in this notice are most 
likely from Ancestral Puebloan sites dating from the Basketmaker III 
(A.D. 500) to the Pueblo III (A.D. 1300) periods. Consultation with 
members of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and other Tribes have determined 
that these cultural objects are of Puebloan ancestry. In addition, 
cultural affiliation studies from Mesa Verde National Park, Fort Lewis 
College, Navajo Reservoir, Canyons of the Ancients, and the San Juan 
District establish cultural affiliation of the ancient Mesa Verde 
pueblos with the 21 federally recognized Pueblo Tribes of Arizona, New 
Mexico, and Texas. The preponderance of geographical, kinship, 
archeological, anthropological, biological, linguistic, oral tradition, 
and historical information, as well as other expert opinion, supports 
the conclusion that Ancestral Puebloan sites are culturally affiliated 
with modern

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Puebloan Tribes. The style and dating of the associated funerary 
objects from the Ignacio site burials and the site in Montezuma County 
also strongly indicate that these are of Puebloan manufacture.

Determinations Made by Fort Lewis College

    Officials of Fort Lewis College have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the seven 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 associated funerary objects and the Hopi Tribe of Arizona.

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 associated funerary objects should 
submit a written request with information in support of the request to 
Dr. Kathleen Fine-Dare, NAGPRA Liaison, Fort Lewis College, 205 Center 
of Southwest Studies, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, CO 81301, telephone 
(970) 247-7438, email [email protected], by February 22, 2022. After 
that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of 
control of the associated funerary objects to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona 
may proceed.
    Fort Lewis College is responsible for notifying The Consulted 
Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: January 12, 2022.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2022-01044 Filed 1-19-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P