[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 73 (Monday, April 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23457-23458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08054]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0035614; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion Amendment: U.S. Department of the 
Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; amendment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK (FWS Alaska) has 
amended a Notice of Inventory Completion published in the Federal 
Register on July 14, 2008. This notice amends the minimum number of 
individuals and the number of associated funerary objects in 
collections removed from the Aleutians West Borough, AK.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after May 17, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Jeremy M. Karchut, Regional Archeologist/Regional Historic 
Preservation Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E Tudor Rd., 
MS-235, Anchorage, AK 99503, telephone (907) 786-3399, 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 FWS 
Alaska. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice. Additional information on the amendments 
and determinations in this notice, including the results of 
consultation, can be found in the inventory or related records held by 
FWS Alaska.

Amendment

    This notice amends the determinations published in a Notice of 
Inventory Completion in the Federal Register (73 FR 40371-40372, July 
14, 2008). Repatriation of the items in the original Notice of 
Inventory Completion has not occurred. This notice amends the number of 
individuals and number of associated funerary objects.
    The number of individuals originally reported from Cold Cave, 
Kagamil Island decreased from 30 to 17 and the number of associated 
funerary objects increased from 127 to 155. The number of individuals 
originally reported from Warm Cave, Kagamil Island increased from one 
to eight, and the number of associated funerary objects increased from 
23 to 151. The number of individuals originally reported from Mask 
Cave, Kagamil Island decreased from four to one, and the number of 
associated funerary objects increased from 60 to 72.

Table of Changes

Human Remains

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Original         Amended
                  Site                       number of       number of
                                            individuals     individuals
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kagamil Island, Cold Cave...............              30              17
Kagamil Island, Warm Cave...............               1               8
Kagamil Island, Mask Cave...............               4               1
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 23458]]

Associated Funerary Objects

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Original
                       Site                            number      Amended number       Amended description
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kagamil Island, Cold Cave........................             127             155  one abrader; two awls; one
                                                                                    basalt biface; one bentwood
                                                                                    bowl; one bentwood bowl
                                                                                    fragment; five bidarka
                                                                                    skins; five bird feather
                                                                                    lots; four bone points;
                                                                                    three bone wedges; one bowl
                                                                                    bottom; one braid of grass;
                                                                                    one braid of hair; one coat
                                                                                    fragment; one ethnobotany
                                                                                    sample; 60 matting
                                                                                    fragments; one fur and hair
                                                                                    lot; two grass lots; four
                                                                                    containers of grave soil;
                                                                                    one hair and feather lot;
                                                                                    two hair lots; one harpoon
                                                                                    head; 16 kayak frame
                                                                                    fragments; eight lengths of
                                                                                    cordage; one matting bundle;
                                                                                    two moss and grass lots; one
                                                                                    obsidian point; one skin and
                                                                                    fur bundle; two wood
                                                                                    fragments; one wooden mask
                                                                                    attachment; nine wooden
                                                                                    shaft fragments; one piece
                                                                                    of worked antler; nine
                                                                                    pieces of worked bone; and
                                                                                    five pieces of worked wood.
Kagamil Island, Warm Cave........................              23             151  one base of a wood vessel;
                                                                                    two bird wing bundles; one
                                                                                    blade fragment; one bone and
                                                                                    grass lot; five bone lots;
                                                                                    one bone, wood, and soil
                                                                                    lot; two charcoal samples;
                                                                                    two pieces of cordage; two
                                                                                    crab legs; three crystal
                                                                                    lots; two dust lots; eight
                                                                                    feather lots; five pieces of
                                                                                    fur; three grass and dust
                                                                                    lots; three grass, dust,
                                                                                    bone, and feather lots; one
                                                                                    hide/leather lot; two pieces
                                                                                    of human hair; 13 kayak
                                                                                    fragments; one lithic lot;
                                                                                    35 matting fragments; three
                                                                                    rock lots; one sea urchin
                                                                                    lot; one seed lot; one shell
                                                                                    lot; 10 undetermined
                                                                                    objects; one wood and
                                                                                    charcoal lot; one wood bowl
                                                                                    rim; 29 wood fragments; one
                                                                                    piece of wood scaffolding;
                                                                                    and 10 wood shaft fragments.
Kagamil Island, Mask Cave........................              60              72  one adze; two basalt bifaces;
                                                                                    two basalt flakes; one bone
                                                                                    root digger; one bone wedge;
                                                                                    two doll head fragments;
                                                                                    five figurines; eight kayak
                                                                                    parts; one obsidian flake;
                                                                                    one shell object; one lot of
                                                                                    undetermined material; one
                                                                                    wood disc; 25 wood
                                                                                    fragments; 15 wood mask
                                                                                    fragments; one wood net
                                                                                    float; two wood objects; one
                                                                                    wood peg fragment; one wood
                                                                                    sample; and one wood shaft
                                                                                    fragment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Determinations (as Amended)

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has determined that:
     The human remains represent the physical remains of 26 
individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 378 objects 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 and Native Village of Nikolski.

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 17, 2023. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, FWS Alaska must 
determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. 
Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing 
requests. FWS Alaska 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, 
10.13, and 10.14.

    Dated: March 29, 2023.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-08054 Filed 4-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P