[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41657-41658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13640]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0036073; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: California State University, 
Chico, Chico, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the California State University Chico (CSU 
Chico) 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 Butte 
County, CA.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after July 27, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Dawn Rewolinski, California State University, Chico, 400 W 
1st Street, Chico, CA 95929, telephone (530) 898-3090, 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 CSU 
Chico. 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 CSU Chico.

Description

Accession 1

    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from five sites in the city of Chico, in Butte County, CA (CA-BUT-0168, 
CA-BUT-0186, CA-BUT-0226, CA-BUT-0284, and CA-BUT-0286). In 1940, these 
sites were visited by Meigs (who was affiliated with Chico State), and 
in 1955, they were visited by Burchard. Both men collected cultural 
items from the sites. The sites were formally recorded in the spring of 
1964 by Dorothy Hill and Professor Keith Johnson, who led a Chico State 
Anthropology Department Archaeological Survey class. During this 
survey, additional items were collected. Items removed during the three 
collection events were accessioned by the Chico State Department of 
Anthropology in March of 1964. The 33 associated funerary objects are 
one cordage sample, one lot consisting of debitage, five modified 
faunal elements, nine modified stones, 14 projectile points, and three 
modified shells.

Accession 80

    Human remains representing, at minimum, six individuals were 
removed by workers at Butte Farms, in Butte County, CA. In 1974, the 
property donated the burial collection to CSU Chico. The one associated 
funerary object is an edge modified flake.

Accession 253

    Accession 253 consists of humans remains representing, at minimum, 
four individuals. These human remains derive from archeological 
recoveries, public donations, and forensic cases. No associated 
funerary objects are present.

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, historical, and expert 
opinion.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian

[[Page 41658]]

organizations, CSU Chico has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 11 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 34 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 Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu 
Indians of California; Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians of 
California; Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, California; 
Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California; and the Paskenta 
Band of Nomlaki Indians of California.

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 identified in this notice 
and, if joined to a request from one or more of the Indian Tribes, the 
Konkow Valley Band of Maidu, a non-federally recognized Indian group.
    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 27, 2023. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, CSU Chico 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. CSU Chico 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: June 14, 2023.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-13640 Filed 6-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P