[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2247-2248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00524]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037227; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Amistad National Recreation Area, Del Rio, TX

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, Amistad National Recreation Area (AMIS) has 
completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects 
and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the 
human remains and associated funerary objects and any Indian Tribe. The 
human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Val 
Verde County, TX.

DATES: Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
in this notice may occur on or after February 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Christopher Ryan, Superintendent, Amistad National 
Recreation Area, 10477 Hwy. 90 West, Del Rio, TX 78840, telephone (830) 
775-7491, 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, AMIS. Additional information on the determinations in 
this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the 
inventory or related records held by AMIS.

Description

    Most human remains and associated funerary objects in the 
collections of Amistad National Recreation Area were removed by the 
NPS-sponsored Texas Archeological Salvage Project (TASP) salvage 
excavations carried out by the University of Texas at Austin in 1958-
1968, during the planning and construction of the Amistad Reservoir in 
Val Verde County, Texas. Later, after Amistad National Recreation Area 
was established to manage the federal lands surrounding the completed 
reservoir, some additional human remains were removed by NPS personnel.
    In 1958, human remains representing, at minimum, five individuals 
were removed from the Damp Cave site in Val Verde County, TX. The site, 
a small rockshelter, was located by the Texas Archaeological Salvage 
Project and excavated by the University of Texas. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    In 1958, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from the Centipede Cave site in Val Verde County, TX. The 
site, an intermediate-sized rockshelter, was located by the Texas 
Archaeological Salvage Project and excavated by the University of 
Texas. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1959, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the Devils Mouth site in Val Verde County, TX during 
a reservoir survey by the University of Texas. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    In 1962, human remains representing, at minimum, 14 individuals 
were removed from the Coontail Spin site in Val Verde County, TX. The 
site, a large rockshelter, was located in 1958 by the University of 
Texas and tested in 1962 by the Texas Archaeological Salvage Project. 
The 47 associated funerary objects are four manos, one soil sample, one 
metate, two dart points, 29 pieces of matting and fragments, one non-
human vertebra (possibly bear or cow), one other faunal bone, and eight 
wooden stakes.
    In 1988, human remains representing, at minimum, one more 
individual were removed from the Coontail Spin site during salvage 
excavations by NPS staff. There were no associated funerary objects.
    In 1963, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from the Mosquito Cave site in Val Verde County, TX, by 
the Texas Archaeological Salvage Project. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    In 1963, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the Eagle Cave site, in Val Verde County, TX. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1965, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 41VV88 in Val Verde County, TX. The site, a 
small rockshelter, was located in 1958 by the University of Texas and 
excavated in 1965. The one associated funerary object is one lot of 
perishable objects including cordage and possible ``fur cordage'' (robe 
fragments?).
    In 1965, human remains representing, at minimum, 10 individuals 
were removed from the Perpetual Care Shelter site in Val Verde County, 
TX. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Between 1965 and 1968, human remains representing, at minimum, six 
individuals were removed from the Conejo Shelter site in Val Verde 
County, TX by the University of Texas. The 241 associated funerary 
objects are three metates/grinding slabs; two Sophora segundiflora 
fragments; four prickly pear cactus Opuntia sp. fragments; six bags of 
unidentified vegetal material; one bundle of tied grass; one fiber 
object of miscellaneous leaves, twigs, and fibers with cordage; three 
lots of fur objects (rabbit fur robe fragments, or bags of robe 
fragments); one fiber tied with cordage; one grass bundle with rabbit 
fur robe remnants; one bracelet;

[[Page 2248]]

one basket/basket fragments; one piece of red ochre; one unifacial 
tool; one bifacial tool; four pieces of modified bone (including one 
antler tine); 19 pieces of bone (one burned bone fragment, one an 
antler fragment, and 17 mammal bones); one piece of leather; 116 pieces 
of sinew; 51 pieces of cordage (including one coiled); 19 mat 
fragments; three sandals; and one chipped stone flake.
    Between 1965 and 1968, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the Arenosa Shelter site in Val Verde 
County, TX. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1967, human remains representing, at minimum, five individuals 
were removed from the Parida Cave site in Val Verde County, TX. The 
site was documented by the University of Texas in 1958 and excavated in 
1967. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1967, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from the Perry Calk site in Val Verde County, TX. The 
site, which consists of an intermediate size rockshelter and an 
adjacent horizontal shaft cave, was located in 1958 by the University 
of Texas. Excavations were conducted in 1967 by the Texas 
Archaeological Salvage Project. The one associated funerary object is a 
small rabbit fur robe.
    In 1967, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals 
were removed from the Rio Grande Canyon site in Val Verde County, TX. 
The site was located during a 1958 survey by the University of Texas, 
and later excavated by the Texas Archaeological Salvage Project. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1967, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from the Techo Bajo Shelter site in Val Verde County, TX. 
The site is a small rockshelter. The four associated funerary objects 
are one awl made from a Canis sp. ulna, and three modified bone 
fragments.
    In 1977 and 1989, human remains representing, at minimum three 
individuals were removed from the Four Turtle Cave site in Val Verde 
County, TX. Wave action exposed human remains in 1977, which were then 
removed by NPS personnel. A second set of human remains were removed in 
1989. Thirty-nine associated funerary objects include pebbles, quartz 
crystals, seeds, rabbit bone, snail shell fossil, wood, burned wood, 
rabbit fur, and chipped stone.
    Around 1978, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the Keyhole Cave site in Val Verde County, TX. 
Fishermen found the human remains eroding out of the cave as a result 
of wave action. Sixteen associated funerary objects include stakes, 
mussel shell, a burnt wood fragment, burned pecan shell, and faunal 
remains (peccary).
    In 1979, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from site 41VV962 in Val Verde County, TX. The human 
remains had been exposed by wave action and were removed by NPS 
personnel. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1983, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the Sin Piernas Cave site in Val Verde County, TX by 
NPS personnel. Wave action exposed the human remains, which appear to 
have been interred in a flexed position. The one associated funerary 
object is a hammerstone.
    In 1988, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the Dust Mask Shelter site in Val Verde County, TX, 
by NPS personnel. No associated funerary objects are present.

Aboriginal Land

    The human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice 
were removed from known geographic locations. These locations are the 
aboriginal lands of one or more Indian Tribes. The following 
information was used to identify the aboriginal land: treaties.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes, AMIS has determined 
that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 66 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 350 associated funerary 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. The National Park Service intends to convey the 
associated funerary objects to the tribes pursuant to 54 U.S.C. 
102503(g) through (i) and 54 U.S.C. 102504.
     No relationship of shared group identity can be reasonably 
traced between the human remains and associated funerary objects and 
any Indian Tribe.
     The human remains and associated funerary objects 
described in this notice were removed from the aboriginal land of the 
Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Fort Sill Apache 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian 
Tribe of Oklahoma; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, 
New Mexico; and the White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache 
Reservation, Arizona.

Requests for Disposition

    Written requests for disposition of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the 
Responsible Official identified in ADDRESSES. Requests for disposition 
may be submitted by:
    1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes 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, or who shows that the requestor is an aboriginal land 
Indian Tribe.
    Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after February 
12, 2024. If competing requests for disposition are received, AMIS must 
determine the most appropriate requestor prior to disposition. Requests 
for joint disposition of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects are considered a single request and not competing requests. 
AMIS 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 and Sec.  
10.11.

    Dated: January 5, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-00524 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
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