[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19981-19983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06918]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0035572; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC

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 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau 
of Indian Affairs (BIA) 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 
McKinley County, NM.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after May 4, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Ms. Tamara Billie, U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Mailbox 44, Albuquerque, NM 
87104, telephone (505) 879-9711, 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 the 
BIA. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.

[[Page 19982]]

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

Description

    Human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals were 
removed from site NA11527 in McKinley County, NM. This site is located 
along Zuni Route Z5 (Nutria Road), 1.75 miles north of New Mexico SR 
53. Two burials were excavated by the Museum of Northern Arizona in 
1973, during an authorized highway improvement project. Burial 1 
contained the human remains of an adult of indeterminate sex; burial 
orientation is unknown. No associated funerary objects are present. 
Burial 2 contained the human remains of a neonate of indeterminate sex; 
burial orientation is unknown. No associated funerary objects are 
present. The site is associated with the Cibola tradition archeological 
complex, and the ceramic evidence indicates an occupation during the 
Pueblo III period (A.D. 1150-1300).
    Human remains representing, at minimum, five individuals were 
removed from site NA11530 in McKinley County, NM. This site is located 
within the right-of-way of Zuni Route Z5 (Nutria Road), 1.5 miles north 
of New Mexico SR 53. Five burials were excavated by the Museum of 
Northern Arizona in 1973, during an authorized highway improvement 
project. Burial 1 contained the human remains of an adult male (45+ 
years old). This individual was buried semi-flexed on the right side 
and with the head oriented to the east. The 38 associated funerary 
objects are one miniature indented corrugated Cibola Gray Ware jar, two 
St. Johns Polychrome bowls, one quartzite hammerstone, six lots of 
pollen samples, one faunal bone fragment, and 27 ceramic sherds. Burial 
2 contained the human remains of an adult male (30-35 years old). This 
individual was buried semi-flexed on the right side and with the head 
oriented to the northeast. The 13 associated funerary objects are one 
Klagetoh Black-on-white bowl, one flotation sample, three pollen 
samples, and eight ceramic sherds. Burial 3 contained the human remains 
of an adult male (45-55 years old). This individual was buried semi-
flexed on the right side and with the head oriented to the east. The 75 
associated funerary objects are one St. Johns Polychrome bowl, one 
Pinedale Polychrome pitcher, two pollen samples, one floatation sample, 
four faunal bones, three plant material samples, two groundstones, and 
61 ceramic sherds. Burial 4 contained the human remains of an adult of 
indeterminate sex; burial orientation is unknown. No associated 
funerary objects are present. Burial 5 contained the human remains of a 
juvenile (<6 years old) of indeterminate sex; burial orientation is 
unknown. No associated funerary objects are present. The site is 
associated with the Cibola tradition archeological complex, and the 
ceramic evidence indicates an occupation during the Pueblo III period 
(A.D. 1150-1300).
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from site NA14084 in McKinley County, NM. This site is located within 
the right-of-way of Zuni Route Z4 (BIA Route 4), approximately 1.4 
miles north of New Mexico SR 53. One burial was excavated by the Museum 
of Northern Arizona in 1975, during an authorized highway improvement 
project. Burial 1 contained the human remains of a juvenile (2-3 years) 
of indeterminate sex; burial orientation is unknown. The two associated 
funerary objects are one stone concretion and one flaked stone. The 
site is associated with the Cibola tradition archeological complex, and 
the ceramic evidence indicates an occupation during the Pueblo I and 
Pueblo II periods (A.D. 800-1150).
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from site NA14086 in McKinley County, NM. This site is located within 
the right-of-way of Zuni Route Z4 (BIA Route 4), 1.7 miles north of New 
Mexico SR 53. One burial was excavated by the Museum of Northern 
Arizona in 1975, during an authorized highway improvement project. 
Burial 1 contained the human remains of an adult of indeterminate sex; 
burial orientation is unknown. No associated funerary objects are 
present. The site is associated with the Cibola tradition archeological 
complex, and the ceramic evidence indicates an occupation during the 
Pueblo II to Pueblo III periods (A.D. 900-1250).
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from site NA14099 in McKinley County, NM. This site is located within 
the right-of-way of Zuni Route Z4 (BIA Route 4), 1.9 miles north of New 
Mexico SR 53. One burial was excavated by the Museum of Northern 
Arizona in 1975, during an authorized highway improvement project. 
Burial 1 contained the human remains of an adult of indeterminate sex; 
burial orientation is unknown. No associated funerary objects are 
present. The site is associated with the Cibola tradition archeological 
complex, and the ceramic evidence indicates an occupation during the 
Pueblo I-III periods (A.D. 700-1300).

Cultural Affiliation

    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. The 
following types of information were used to reasonably trace the 
relationship: geographical, oral traditional, anthropological, and 
archeological.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations, the BIA has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 10 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 128 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 and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni 
Reservation, New Mexico.

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 May 4, 2023. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, the BIA must 
determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. 
Requests for joint repatriation of the human

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remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single request 
and not competing requests. The BIA is responsible for sending a copy 
of this notice to the Indian Tribe 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. 2023-06918 Filed 4-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P