[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16786-16787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04985]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037559; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Oregon Museum of 
Natural and Cultural History, Eugene, OR

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 University of Oregon Museum of Natural 
and Cultural History 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 Bristol 
Bay Borough, AK.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after April 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Pamela Endzweig, Director of Anthropological 
Collections, University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural 
History, 1224 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1224, telephone 
(541) 346-5120, 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 
University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History. 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 University of Oregon Museum of Natural and 
Cultural History.

Description

    In 1983, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from Bristol Bay Borough, Naknek River, AK. The human 
remains were transferred to the Museum of Natural and Cultural History 
by a former University of Oregon archeologist, who collected them on 
July 29, 1983. The fragmentary human remains are from a female adult, 
30-50 years of age. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1973 or 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Bristol Bay Borough, AK. The human remains 
(burial Nak2B1; catalog number 11-444)--a male between 30-45 years of 
age--were collected from the Paugvik Site (49Nak2) during legally 
authorized archeological excavations by a University of Oregon field 
party. The 35 associated funerary objects are two shaped bones, two 
slate flakes, one miniature sled runner, one bone awl, one pick-pryer, 
one slate scraper, one lot of wood from tomb, one copper box, one rib 
tool, one lot of grass matting, one skull impression, one potsherd, 11 
pieces of hematite, four bark cloth fragments, one lot of hair, one lot 
of hide fragments, and four lots of mixed hair, matting, hide, cloth, 
and leather.
    In 1973 or 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Bristol

[[Page 16787]]

Bay Borough, AK. The human remains (burial Nak2B2; catalog number 11-
445)--a female between 20-30 years of age--were collected from the 
Paugvik Site (49Nak2) during legally authorized archeological 
excavations by a University of Oregon field party. The 26 associated 
funerary objects are one lot of potsherds, one smoothed rock, two 
socket pieces, one lot glass beads, one slate blade fragment, two sewn 
hides, 12 hide fragments, one mukluk, four pieces of leather, and one 
abrader.
    In 1973 or 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Bristol Bay Borough, AK. The human remains 
(burial Nak2B3; catalog number 11-446)--a female between 15-20 years of 
age--were collected from the Paugvik Site (49Nak2) during legally 
authorized archeological excavations by a University of Oregon field 
party. The one associated funerary object is one lot of glass beads.
    In 1973 or 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from Bristol Bay Borough, AK. The human 
remains (burial Nak2B4, catalog number 11-447)--one adult male between 
30-40 years of age and one individual of indeterminate age and sex--
were collected from the Paugvik Site (49Nak2) during legally authorized 
archeological excavations by a University of Oregon field party. The 
one associated funerary object is a wooden tray.
    In 1973 or 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from Bristol Bay Borough, AK. The human remains 
(burial Nak2B5, catalog number 11-448)--an adult male between 30-40 
years of age--were collected from the Paugvik Site (49Nak2) during 
legally authorized archeological excavations by a University of Oregon 
field party. It is uncertain whether the wooden tray listed for the 
previous burial is associated with Nak2B4 or Nak2B5.
    According to published materials, all burials from the Paugvik Site 
are assigned to the Pavik Phase, ca. 1800-1900 CE, on the basis of 
association with European trade goods or stratigraphic context.

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; 
geographical information.

Determinations

    Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations, the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural 
History has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of seven individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 63 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 Naknek Native Village.

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 April 8, 2024. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, the University of 
Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History 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 University 
of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History is responsible for 
sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations identified in this notice.
    This notice was submitted before the effective date of the revised 
regulations (88 FR 86452, December 13, 2023, effective January 12, 
2024). As the notice conforms to the mandatory format of the Federal 
Register and includes the required information, the National Park 
Service is publishing this notice as submitted.
    Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.

    Dated: February 29, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-04985 Filed 3-7-24; 8:45 am]
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