[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 134 (Thursday, July 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42207-42208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15043]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0034196; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Albany, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific 
Southwest Research Station, 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 
Pacific Southwest Research Station. 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 Pacific Southwest Research Station at the 
address in this notice by August 15, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Jeff Irwin, Heritage Program Manager, Sierra National 
Forest, 29688 Auberry Road, Prather, CA 93651, telephone (559) 855-5355 
Ext. 3335, 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 U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 
Albany, CA, and in the physical custody of Fresno City College, Fresno, 
CA. The human remains and associated

[[Page 42208]]

funerary objects were removed from site CA-MAD-546, located on the San 
Joaquin Experimental Range, Madera County, CA.
    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 Fresno City 
College (FCC) and Forest Service professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians 
of California (previously listed as Big Sandy Rancheria of Mono Indians 
of California); Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California; 
Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians of California; Middletown 
Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California; Northfork Rancheria of Mono 
Indians of California; Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of 
California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, 
California; Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs 
Rancheria (Verona Tract), California; Table Mountain Rancheria 
(previously listed as Table Mountain Rancheria of California); Tejon 
Indian Tribe; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, 
California; and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne 
Rancheria of California. In addition, the California Valley Miwok 
Tribe, California; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of 
California; Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort 
McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Ione Band of Miwok 
Indians of California; and the Jackson Band of Miwuk Indians 
(previously listed as Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of 
California) were invited to consult, but did not participate. 
Hereafter, all the Indian Tribes listed in this section are referred to 
as ``The Consulted Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    Between 1986 and 1990, human remains representing, at minimum, four 
individuals were removed by Don Wren of Fresno Community College from 
site CA-MAD-546 on the San Joaquin Experimental Range in Madera County, 
CA. The excavations were part of an archeological field school led by 
Wren. In January of 2017, an osteological examination of faunal 
collections curated at FCC was conducted to determine if human remains 
were present. That examination resulted in the identification of the 
human remains listed in this notice. All the human remains are 
fragmentary. A total of 79 bone fragments and teeth, representing a 
minimum of four individuals, were identified. No known individuals were 
identified. The 136 associated funerary objects include 117 beads (19 
glass, 44 shell, 51 steatite, one bone, two unknown), 12 steatite 
sherds, one steatite ring fragment, and six unmodified steatite 
fragments.
    Site CA-MAD-546 lies in the lower foothills of lands managed by the 
Forest Service, in an area well-documented ethnographically as the 
territory of foothill Yokuts peoples and situated in proximity to the 
traditional territory and contemporary land of the Picayune Rancheria 
of Chukchansi Indians of California. It includes features and artifacts 
indicative of late-precontact through late 19th century indigenous 
occupation.

Determinations Made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station

    Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 
Pacific Southwest Research Station 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 136 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 Picayune 
Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California.

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 Jeff Irwin, Heritage Program Manager, Sierra 
National Forest, 29688 Auberry Road, Prather, CA 93651, telephone (559) 
855-5355 Ext. 3335, email [email protected], by August 15, 2022. 
After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California 
may proceed.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific 
Southwest Research Station is responsible for notifying The Consulted 
Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: July 6, 2022.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2022-15043 Filed 7-13-22; 8:45 am]
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