[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53000-53001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18740]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0034427; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Michigan State University, East 
Lansing, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Michigan State 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 a cultural 
affiliation between the human remains 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 
should submit a written request to Michigan State University. If no 
additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human 
remains 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 should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Michigan 
State University at the address in this notice by September 29, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith Stoddart, Associate Provost, 
University Arts and Collections, Michigan State University, 287 Delta 
Court, East Lansing, MI 48824, telephone (517) 432-2524, 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 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. The human 
remains were removed from Mesa Verde, Montezuma County, CO.

[[Page 53001]]

    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. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Michigan 
State University professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Mescalero Apache Tribe of 
the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 
(previously listed as Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 
Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico, & Utah). In addition, the following 
Indian Tribes were invited to consult but did not participate: Apache 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River 
Indian Reservation, Arizona and California; Fort McDowell Yavapai 
Nation, Arizona; Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache 
Nation, New Mexico; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; Ohkay 
Owingeh, New Mexico (previously listed as Pueblo of San Juan); 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 Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; 
San Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; 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; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; Ute Indian Tribe 
of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah; White Mountain Apache Tribe of 
the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; Yavapai-Apache Nation of the Camp 
Verde Indian Reservation, Arizona; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (previously 
listed as Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas); and the Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. Hereafter, all the Indian Tribes listed 
in this section are referred to as ``The Tribes.''

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, three 
individuals were removed from Mesa Verde in Montezuma County, CO. They 
were acquired by Kalamazoo resident Donald Boudeman, who collected 
Native American material culture in the first half of the 20th century. 
In July of 1961, some years after her husband's death, Donna Boudeman 
donated the human remains to the Michigan State University Museum. In 
February of 2019, during an intertribal consultation, the remains of 
these individuals were found in the Michigan State University Forensic 
Anthropology Laboratory. The human remains belong to a child 6.5-8.5 
years old and two adult females. No known individuals were identified. 
No associated funerary objects are present.
    Mesa Verde was occupied by Ancestral Puebloan people from 
approximately A.D. 500 to 1200. All the individuals listed in this 
Notice of Inventory Completion are reasonably believed to be Puebloan, 
based on the provenience and documentation associated with the human 
remains. A relationship of shared group identity can be traced between 
Ancestral Puebloan people and modern Puebloan groups, based on oral 
tradition, historical evidence, archeological, geographical, and 
scientific studies.

Determinations Made by Michigan State University

    Officials of Michigan 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 three individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 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 should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Judith 
Stoddart, Associate Provost, University Arts and Collections, Michigan 
State University, 287 Delta Court, East Lansing, MI 48824, telephone 
(517) 432-2524, email [email protected], by September 29, 2022. After 
that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of 
control of the human remains to The Tribes may proceed.
    Michigan State University is responsible for notifying The Tribes 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: August 24, 2022.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2022-18740 Filed 8-29-22; 8:45 am]
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