[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 105 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35911-35912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-11689]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0035957; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, 
St. Paul, MN

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 Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) 
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 Aitkin, Cass, Hubbard, 
Kanabec, Ottertail, and Todd Counties, MN.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after July 3, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Dylan Goetsch, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, 161 St. 
Anthony Avenue, Suite 919, St. Paul, MN 55103, 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 
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. The National Park Service is not 
responsible for the determinations in this notice. 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 Minnesota Indian Affairs Council.

Description

    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, three 
individuals were removed from Aitkin County, MN. The individuals were 
recovered by the homeowner during the construction of a house on Big 
Sandy Lake at the William Alexander Aitkin Fur Post site, which is 
situated within the Savana Portage State Park. In 1983, the homeowner 
donated the human remains and other artifacts from the property to a 
local historian. In 1988, the human remains and other artifacts were 
loaned to the Savannah Portage State Park (Minnesota Department of 
Natural Resources). In October of 1992, the Savannah Portage State Park 
did an inventory of the collection and transferred these human remains 
and funerary objects associated with them to the Minnesota Indian 
Affairs Council (H217). No known individuals were identified. The 24 
associated funerary objects include sand, tin pail fragments, bark with 
vermillion, linen or cotton fabric, felt or wool fabric, leather, 
twisted cord, silver fragments (jewelry), a carved wooden stick, a wood 
fragment with cloth attached, black felt fabric, felt fabric with 
beads, braided hair, square nails, woven bark, rigs, wool fabric, a 
small silver or brass ring, a silver ribbon ring, a leather braid tie, 
wood fragments, small fragments of silver broaches, a small tied cloth 
object, woven fabric, and metal tinklers.
    In July of 1966, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed by a private citizen from an eroding bank at 
21-AK-04, the Sandy Lake Northwest Company Post in Aitkin County, MN. 
In 1995, these human remains were transferred to the Minnesota Indian 
Affairs Council (H295). No known individual was identified. The 26 
associated funerary objects include copper coils, hair, white shell 
beads, a white glass bead, metal fragments, faunal remains, a fur and 
cloth object, a cloth and metal object, and soil.
    At an unknown time, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed during road construction near Upper Rice Lake 
from Aitkin County, MN. The human remains were transferred to MIAC on 
November 8, 2007. A note with the human remains indicates they were 
initially given to a Dr. Brook by Gil (Gilbert) George of St. Paul and 
received the accession number 732. The note also indicates that a rifle 
and cartridge case were buried with the human remains, but those items 
were not transferred to MIAC or referenced in any other notes. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    On August 21, 2015, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed during construction activities from the City of 
Lake Shore in Cass County, MN, and sent to the Ramsey County Medical 
Examiner's Office (2015-2084). On September 25, 2015, the human remains 
were transferred to the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (H488). These 
human remains belong to an adult male. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Between 1984 and the mid-1990s, human remains representing, at 
minimum, one individual were removed by unknown persons from an area 
near the Fish Hook River, close to the city of Park Rapids, in Hubbard 
County, MN. Subsequently, these human remains were relinquished to Alan 
Brew, a Professor at Bemidji State University. On November 15, 2007, 
the human remains were transferred to the Minnesota Indian Affairs 
Council (H437). No known individual was identified. The 69 associated 
funerary objects include navy blue, pink, white/cream seed beads and 
three sherds of a white and blue earthenware cup.
    In August of 1971, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed by Saint Cloud State University from an 
unspecified location on Knife Lake in Kanabec County, MN. In February 
of 2006, Saint Cloud State University transferred these human remains 
together with associated funerary objects to the Minnesota Indian 
Affairs Council (H417). No known individual was identified. The 3,876 
associated funerary objects include one copper or brass ring associated 
with a hand phalanx, one ceramic button, one metal shank button, and 
3,873 funerary objects consisting of seed beads, tubular beads, flat 
beads, black fabric, red fabric, brown fabric, metal pieces, leather 
fragments, coffin wood, and birch bark fragments.
    In 2021, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from Ottertail County, MN. Construction workers fixing a 
damaged shed unearthed the human remains via a small trench. Local law 
enforcement responded to the scene and began an investigation. Locals 
who had heard of the incident contacted the Minnesota Indian Affairs 
Council. MIAC visited the site with law enforcement. Law Enforcement 
determined the human remains to be Native American and transferred them 
to the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In August of 1993, May and November of 1995, and July of 1996, 
human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals were removed 
by the Office of the State Archaeologist eroding from a bank along the 
Northeast shore of Otter Tail Lake, in Ottertail County, MN (site 21-
OT-110, Peterson Burials). In 1993, 1995, and 1996, these human remains 
were transferred to the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (H243, H293). 
No known individuals were identified. The 200 associated funerary 
objects include two thin metal bands (possibly belonging a wedding 
band); one quartz bipolar flake; one small buckle; and 196

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funerary objects consisting of coffin hardware, wood, and nails; faunal 
remains; buttons; cloth fragments; and soil samples.
    On October 26, 1995, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed during construction activities under a road 
near Lake Osakis in Todd County, MN. The Osakis Police Department were 
notified, and the human remains were turned over to the Ramsey County 
Medical Examiner's Office. On October 30, 1995, the human remains were 
transferred to the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (H299). On January 
11, 1996, additional human remains belonging to these individuals were 
transferred to the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council from the Office of 
the State Archaeologist following their investigation of the site. No 
known individuals were identified. The two associated funerary objects 
are patinated brass tinkers or jingle cones.

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: anthropological, archeological, biological, folkloric, 
geographical, historical, oral traditional, and other relevant 
information or expert opinion.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council has determined 
that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 15 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 4,197 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 Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
Minnesota (Six component reservations: Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake); 
Fond du Lac Band; Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band; Mille Lacs Band; 
White Earth Band) and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota.

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 July 3, 2023. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, the Minnesota Indian 
Affairs Council 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. The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council is responsible 
for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes 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: May 24, 2023.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-11689 Filed 5-31-23; 8:45 am]
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