[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 245 (Friday, December 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88652-88653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28176]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037120; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Navajo National Monument, Shonto, AZ

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, 
National Park Service, Navajo National Monument (NAVA) 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 Coconino and Navajo Counties, AZ.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after January 22, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Lyn Carranza, Superintendent, Navajo National Monument, End 
of AZ Hwy 564 North, P.O. Box 7717, Shonto, AZ 86054-7717, telephone 
(928) 624-5500 Ext. 244, 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 
superintendent, NAVA. Additional information on the determinations in 
this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the 
inventory or related records held by NAVA.

Description

    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Coconino County, AZ, in 1939, during excavations conducted by 
Charlie Steen of the NPS to stabilize Inscription House. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Coconino County, AZ, in 1964, by NPS personnel after being exposed 
on the surface of Inscription House by erosion. The three associated 
funerary objects are one bowl, one jar, and one ladle.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, 43 individuals were removed 
from Coconino County, AZ, in 1966, when a midden below Inscription 
House was excavated by the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) under the 
direction of Dr. George Gumerman. The 473 associated funerary objects 
are one projectile point, 15 awls, three worked bones, one flesher, one 
biface fragment, 20 flakes, two pendants, one bead, two earrings, 13 
stone tile fragments, nine pieces of limonite, one piece of hematite, 
one maul, one mano, 68 faunal bones, one abrader, 41 bowls, seven 
ladles, 38 jars, two colanders, three bags of plant materials, one 
eggshell, one metate, 235 sherds, one worked sherd, one hammerstone, 
one concretion, one bag of unfired clay, and one bag of wood.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Coconino County, AZ, in 1977, by the University of Colorado 
through a contract with the NPS for salvage excavations on the midden 
at Inscription House that was excavated in 1966. The 49 associated 
funerary objects are 48 sherds and one soil sample.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, 13 individuals were removed 
from Navajo County, AZ, in 1934, by the Civil Works Administration 
(CWA) through the MNA during stabilization activities at Keet Seel. The 
69 associated funerary objects are one axe, one bead, one bowl, 55 
faunal bones, seven jars, two kaolin samples, one pendant, and one 
sherd.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Navajo County, AZ. In 1935, human remains were donated to the

[[Page 88653]]

MNA and were identified as being from Keet Seel. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Navajo County, AZ. In 1964, human remains were turned over to the 
NPS and were identified as being from Keet Seel. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals were 
removed from Navajo County, AZ, in 1938, during excavations at Kiva 
Cave by Milton Wetherill. The 35 associated funerary objects are one 
piece of cotton cloth and 34 sherds.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, three individuals were 
removed from Navajo County, AZ, in 1963, by Carl Jennings of the 
University of Colorado during excavations at Turkey Cave. The human 
remains were deposited at the MNA. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Navajo County, AZ, in 1985, during stabilization work at Turkey 
Cave by Peter McKenna and John Stein of the NPS Chaco Center. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals were 
removed from Navajo County, AZ. In 1938 human remains removed from 
Betatakin by Milton Wetherill were donated to the MNA. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Navajo County, AZ in 1964 by NPS archeologist Keith Anderson 
during an authorized excavation of the midden below Betatakin. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from Navajo County, AZ, in 1967, during an unauthorized exploration of 
Betatakin. 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 information, archeological information, 
biological information, folklore, geographical information, historical 
information, kinship, linguistics, oral tradition, other relevant 
information and expert opinion.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations, NAVA has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 71 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 629 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 Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo 
Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; 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 January 22, 2024. 
If competing requests for repatriation are received, NAVA 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. NAVA is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the 
Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations 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: December 13, 2023.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-28176 Filed 12-21-23; 8:45 am]
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