[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18578-18580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06479]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0035567; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Valley Authority, 
Knoxville, TN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has 
completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects 
and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the 
human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or 
Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects were removed from the states of Alabama, 
Kentucky, and Tennessee.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after April 28, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Meg Cook, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill 
Drive, WT11C, Knoxville, TN 37902-1401, telephone (865) 253-1265, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the 
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of TVA. 
The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in 
this notice. Additional information on the

[[Page 18579]]

determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, 
can be found in the inventory or related records held by TVA.

Description

    The human remains and associated funerary objects described in this 
notice are under the control of TVA, and in the physical custody of TVA 
and its partner repositories, which include but are not limited to the 
University of Alabama, the University of Kentucky, Mississippi State 
University, Southern Illinois University, and the University of 
Tennessee.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, 722 individuals were 
removed as a result of TVA action in the state of Alabama from Colbert, 
Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, 
and Morgan Counties. The 522 lots of associated funerary objects 
include lithics, ceramics, personal adornments (hair pins, beads), 
copper, canine burials, and shell.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, eight individuals were 
removed as a result of TVA action in the state of Kentucky from 
Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, and Trigg Counties. The two lots 
of associated funerary objects includes faunal remains.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, 3,676 individuals were 
removed as a result of TVA action in the eastern half of Tennessee from 
Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carter, 
Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, De Kalb, Fentress, 
Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, 
Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, 
Marion, Marshall, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Moore, Morgan, Overton, 
Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, 
Sevier, Smith, Sullivan, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, 
Washington, White, and Wilson Counties. The 739 lots of associated 
funerary objects include lithics, ceramics, minerals, botanical 
remains, shell, and personal adornments (beads and gorgets).
    Human remains representing, at minimum, 465 individuals were 
removed as a result of TVA action in the western half of Tennessee from 
Benton, Carroll, Cheatham, Chester, Crockett, Davidson, Decatur, 
Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Giles, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, 
Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, 
Lawrence, Lewis, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion, Perry, 
Robertson, Shelby, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley, and 
Williamson Counties. The 126 lots of associated funerary objects 
include canine remains, lithics, ceramics, and bone tools.

Cultural Affiliation

    Cultural affiliation is defined by state or by region in the 
determinations section of this notice. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects in this notice are connected to one or more 
identifiable earlier groups, tribes, peoples, or cultures. There is a 
relationship of shared group identity between the identifiable earlier 
groups, tribes, peoples, or cultures and one or more Indian Tribes or 
Native Hawaiian organizations. Geographical and other relevant 
information were used to reasonably trace the relationship.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations, Tennessee Valley Authority has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 4,871 individuals of Native American ancestry, at 
minimum.
     The 1,389 lots of 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.
     There is a relationship of shared group identity that can 
be reasonably traced between the human remains and associated funerary 
objects described in this notice as removed from the state of Alabama 
and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-
Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Cherokee Nation; Coushatta Tribe of 
Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; Kialegee Tribal Town; Poarch 
Band of Creek Indians; Shawnee Tribe; The Chickasaw Nation; The Choctaw 
Nation of Oklahoma; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of 
Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah Band of 
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
     There is a relationship of shared group identity that can 
be reasonably traced between the human remains and associated funerary 
objects described in this notice as removed from the state of Kentucky 
and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation; 
Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern 
Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Quapaw 
Nation; Shawnee Tribe; The Chickasaw Nation; The Osage Nation; and the 
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
     There is a relationship of shared group identity that can 
be reasonably traced between the human remains and associated funerary 
objects described in this notice as removed from the eastern half of 
Tennessee and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; 
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Cherokee Nation; Coushatta Tribe of 
Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; Kialegee Tribal Town; Shawnee 
Tribe; The Chickasaw Nation; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole 
Nation of Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah 
Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
     There is a relationship of shared group identity that can 
be reasonably traced between the human remains and associated funerary 
objects described in this notice as removed from the western half of 
Tennessee and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; 
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Cherokee Nation; Coushatta Tribe of 
Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; Kialegee Tribal Town; 
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; Quapaw Nation; Shawnee Tribe; The 
Chickasaw Nation; The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; The Muscogee (Creek) 
Nation; The Osage Nation; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United 
Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.

Requests for Repatriation

    Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the 
Responsible Official identified in ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation 
may be submitted by:
    1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations identified in this notice.
    2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a 
preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal 
descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization.
    Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after April 28, 2023. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, TVA must determine 
the most appropriate requestor prior to

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repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not 
competing requests. TVA is responsible for sending a copy of this 
notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations 
identified in this notice.
    Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9, 10.10, 
and 10.14.

    Dated: March 22, 2023.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-06479 Filed 3-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P