[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 214 (Monday, November 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67058-67060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-24221]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0034802; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: U.S. Department of 
the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs 
(BIA), 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 unassociated funerary objects, 
sacred objects, and 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 BIA. If no additional claimants 
come forward, transfer of control of the cultural items to the lineal 
descendants, Indian Tribes,

[[Page 67059]]

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 BIA at the address in this 
notice by December 7, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Tamara Billie, NAGPRA Coordinator, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
1001 Indian School Road NW, Mailbox 44--Suite 345, Albuquerque, NM 
87104, telephone (505) 879-9711, 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 U.S Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Washington, DC, that meet the definition of unassociated 
funerary objects, sacred objects, and 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

    All 376 cultural items listed in this notice were removed at an 
unknown date or dates from various sites located on the Wind River 
Indian Reservation, in Fremont County, WY, and at an unknown date or 
dates, these cultural items came into the possession of Theodore 
Sowers. In 1995, Sowers' daughters transferred these cultural items to 
Sowers' alma mater, the University of Denver. The 376 cultural items 
include 25 associated funerary objects, one sacred object, and 350 
objects of cultural patrimony.
    The 25 unassociated funerary objects are one ammunition belt (DU 
ID#1995.1.91), one arrow shaft (DU ID#1995.1.73), one awl (DU 
ID#1995.1.84), four fragments of beadwork (DU ID#1995.1.77 A-B and 
1995.1.78 A-B), one bridle (DU ID#1995.1.83), two Sun Dance brooches 
(DU ID#1995.1.88-89), one choker (DU ID#1995.1.76), one earring (DU 
ID#1995.1.74), two gaming sticks (DU ID#1995.1.82 A-B), one necklace 
(DU ID#1995.1.79), two pouch fragments (DU ID#1995.1.75 and 1995.1.80), 
one riding crop (DU ID#1995.1.93), one saddle (DU ID#1995.1.92 A-D), 
one saddle horn (DU ID#1995.1.90), two scrapers (DU ID#1995.1.85-86), 
one pipe stem (DU ID#1995.1.87), and two tools (DU ID#1995.1.81 A-B). 
Museum records indicate that these 25 unassociated funerary objects 
were removed from a burial.
    The one sacred object is a Sun Dance whistle (DU ID #1995.1.72). 
This determination is based on information presented during 
consultation with Eastern Shoshone Tribal Historic Preservation Office 
(THPO) staff and a Cultural/Spiritual Representative in March of 2019.
    The 350 objects of cultural patrimony are 23 utilized lithic flakes 
(DU ID#WY WR.1), one steatite jar (DU ID#2879), 20 tools (DU 
ID#1995.1.283-288 and 1995.1.308-321), one stone core (DU 
ID#1995.1.1259), one unworked stone (DU ID#1995.1.595), seven fern 
fossils (DU ID#1995.1.1826-1832), two fossils (DU ID#1995.1.1835 and 
1995.1.1837), one stone knife (DU ID#1995.1.210), three pieces of 
petrified wood (1995.1.1833-1834 and 1995.1.1836), four stone scrapers 
(DU ID#1995.1.209, 1995.1.217, 1995.1.221, and 1995.1.223), two stone 
choppers (DU ID#1995.1.739-740), four stone cores (DU ID#1995.1.733-
736), 23 utilized lithic flakes (DU ID#1995.1.741-763), 18 stone knives 
(DU ID#1995.1.715-732), two stone manos (DU ID#1995.1.737-738), 45 
stone scrapers (DU ID#1995.1.670-714), 19 stone tools (DU 
ID#1995.1.289-307), one stone abrader (DU ID#1995.1.936), eight stone 
bifaces (DU ID#1995.1.887-888, 1995.1.891, and 1995.1.893-897), eight 
stone choppers (DU ID#1995.1.819, 1995.1.928-933, and 1995.1.938), one 
coprolite (DU ID#1995.1.937), two stone cores (DU ID#1995.1.934-935), 
four stone drills (DU ID#1995.1.808, 1995.1.905-907), nine lithic 
flakes (DU ID#1995.1.913-914, 1995.1.918, 1995.1.921-923, and 
1995.1.925-927), four utilized lithic flakes (DU ID#1995.912, 
1995.1.919-920, and 1995.1.924), 36 stone knives (DU ID#1995.1.810-818. 
1995.1.822-841, 1995.1.889-890, 1995.1.892, 1995.1.898-900, and 
1995.1.909), three stone projectile points (DU ID#1995.1.768-770), two 
rocks coated in red ochre (DU ID#1995.1.939-940), one lot of stone 
scrapers (DU ID#1995.1.776-786, 1995.1.788-807, 1995.1.820-821, 
1995.1.842, 1995.1.885-886, 1995.1.901-904, 1995.1.908, 1995.1.911, and 
1995.1.915-917), one sinker (DU ID#1995.1.809), one stone uniface 
(1995.1.910), one stone knife (DU ID#1995.1.765), one stone projectile 
point (DU ID#1995.1.767), two stone scrapers (DU ID#1995.1.764 and 
1995.1.766), two lithic flakes (DU ID#1995.1.772-773), one stone 
projectile point (DU ID#1995.1.771), three stone scrapers (DU 
ID#1995.1.774-775 and 1995.1.787), two stone knives (DU ID#1995.1.874 
and 1995.1.878), 40 stone scrapers (DU ID#1995.1.843-873, 1995.1.875-
877, and 1995.1.879-884), six stone choppers (DU ID#1995.1.1279-1284), 
one stone core (DU ID#1995.1.1278), 11 stone knives (DU ID#1995.1.1276-
1277, 1995.1.207-208, 1995.1.211-212, 1995.1.222, 1995.1.224-225, and 
1995.1.228), and 23 stone scrapers (DU ID#1995.1.1262-1274, 1995.1.206, 
1995.1.213-216, 1995.1.218-220, and 1995.1.226-227). This determination 
is based on information presented during consultation with Eastern 
Shoshone Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) staff and a 
Cultural/Spiritual Representative in March of 2019.
    Based on information in the possession of the BIA, which includes 
information obtained during consultation, the items listed in this 
notice are culturally affiliated with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the 
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming (previously listed as Shoshone Tribe of 
the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming). This Indian Tribe has been living 
on the Wind River Mountain range and its environs for some 12,000 
years.

Determinations Made by the U.S Department of the Interior, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs

    Officials of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), 25 of the cultural items 
described above 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the 
evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of a Native 
American individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(C), one of the cultural 
items described above is a specific ceremonial object needed by 
traditional Native American religious leaders for the practice of 
traditional Native American religions by their present-day adherents.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(D), 350 of the cultural 
items described above have ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural 
importance central to the Native American group or

[[Page 67060]]

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 
unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural 
patrimony and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming (previously listed as Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River 
Reservation, Wyoming).

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 Tamara Billie, NAGPRA Coordinator, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Mailbox 44--Suite 345, 
Albuquerque, NM 87104, telephone (505) 879-9711, email 
[email protected], by December 7, 2022. After that date, if no 
additional claimants have come forward, transfer of control of the 
unassociated funerary objects, sacred object, and objects of cultural 
patrimony to the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming (previously listed as Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River 
Reservation, Wyoming) may proceed.
    The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, with 
assistance from the Denver Museum is responsible for notifying the 
Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming 
(previously listed as Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming) that this notice has been published.

    Dated: October 26, 2022.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2022-24221 Filed 11-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P