[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87810-87811]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27801]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037095; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of 
Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

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 Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural 
History, University of Oklahoma (SNOMNH) 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 McCurtain County, OK.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after January 18, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Marc Levine, Associate Curator of Archaeology, Sam Noble 
Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 
Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK 73072-7029, telephone (405) 325-1994, 
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 
SNOMNH. 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 SNOMNH.

Description

    In 1955, human remains representing, at minimum, six individuals 
were removed from the A.W. Davis site (34Mc6) in McCurtain County, OK. 
The site is located on the west bank of the Glover River and about one 
mile west of the small community of Glover, OK. Following extensive 
looting at the site, the University of Oklahoma carried out excavations 
at 34Mc6 in June and July of 1955, and at an unknown date, the 
excavated material remains were transferred to the SNOMNH. The human 
remains belong to a neonate, an infant, a child, and three adults of 
indeterminate sex who had been interred at the site during the pre-
contact era, between A.D. 1200 and 1500. The 432 associated funerary 
objects are: 17 stone projectile points, one flake, three unmodified 
stones, one sample of pigment, two faunal bone fragments, one shell 
fragment, three samples of charcoal, three Avery Engraved ceramic 
vessels, one Harleton Applique ceramic jar, 10 decorated ceramic 
vessels, two partially reconstructed decorated ceramic vessels, one 
undecorated ceramic vessel, 66 decorated potsherds, 303 undecorated 
potsherds, 16 daub fragments, and two fragments of fired clay.
    In 1941, human remains representing, at minimum, nine individuals 
were removed from the Clement 3 site (34Mc10) in McCurtain County, OK. 
This site was excavated in November of 1941 by the Works Progress 
Administration (WPA) under the direction of archeologists from the 
University of Oklahoma, and in 1941, the excavated material remains 
were transferred to the SNOMNH. The human remains belong to four adults 
of indeterminate sex, four children, and an individual whose age and 
sex could not be determined who had been interred at the site during 
the pre-contact era, between A.D. 1200 and 1500. The 115 associated 
funerary objects are six decorated ceramic jars, one decorated ceramic 
bowl, five undecorated ceramic bowls, one undecorated ceramic jar, two 
bags of decorated potsherds, 14 decorated potsherds, one bag of 
undecorated potsherds, 83 undecorated potsherds, one groundstone 
fragment, and one sample of green pigment.
    In 1941, human remains representing, at minimum, 20 individuals 
were removed from the McDonald 1 site (34Mc11) in McCurtain County, OK. 
This site was excavated by the WPA in 1941-1942, and in 1965, the 
excavated material remains were transferred to the SNOMNH. The human 
remains belong to two children, two adult males, and 16 adults of 
indeterminate sex who had been interred at the site during the pre-
contact era, between A.D. 1200 and 1500. The 272 associated funerary 
objects are one Simms Engraved ceramic bowl, one decorated ceramic 
bottle, 12 decorated ceramic vessels, 25 ceramic vessels, 206 
potsherds, 17 projectile points, two modified stones, two stone 
pebbles, two quartz crystals, one animal bone fragment, one bag of 
animal bone fragments, and two bags of shell fragments.

[[Page 87811]]

    In 1964-1965, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the Baldwin site (34Mc84) in McCurtain 
County, OK. This site was excavated in 1964-1965 by the University of 
Oklahoma, and in 1965, the excavated material remains were transferred 
to the SNOMNH. The human remains consist of a partial skeleton 
belonging to an adult female and a partial skeleton belonging to a 
young adult who is probably female. The 29 associated funerary objects 
are two ceramic jars, one ceramic bottle, one partial ceramic vessel, 
one bag of decorated potsherds, 14 undecorated potsherds, two bags of 
undecorated potsherds, seven animal bone fragments, and one modified 
stone.

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, geographical, historical, 
and oral traditional.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations, the SNOMNH has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 37 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 848 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 Caddo Nation of 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 January 18, 2024. 
If competing requests for repatriation are received, the SNOMNH 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 SNOMNH 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, Sec.  
10.10, and Sec.  10.14.

    Dated: December 8, 2023.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-27801 Filed 12-18-23; 8:45 am]
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