[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16790-16792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04992]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037569; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: California State University, 
Sacramento, Sacramento, CA and East Bay Municipal Utility District, 
Oakland, CA

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 California State University, Sacramento 
and East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) have 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.

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

ADDRESSES: Dr. Mark Wheeler, Chief of Staff to President Luke Wood, 
California

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State University, Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, 
telephone (916) 460-0490, email [email protected] and Chuck 
Beckman, Manager of Watershed and Recreation, East Bay Municipal 
Utility District, 15083 Camanche Parkway South, Valley Springs, CA 
95252, telephone (209) 772-8203, 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 
California State University, Sacramento and EBMUD, and additional 
information on the determinations in this notice, including the results 
of consultation, can be found in the inventory or related records. The 
National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this 
notice.

Abstract of Information Available

    In 1959 and 1960s, human remains representing, at minimum, three 
individuals were removed from CA-AMA-03 (also known as Bamert Cave), by 
students of Sacramento State College (now California State University, 
Sacramento) under the direction of William Beeson. The collections have 
been housed at California State University, Sacramento since this 
excavation. Occupation of the site is estimated to have occurred during 
the Late Prehistoric into Historic periods. No known individuals were 
identified. The 6,457 associated funerary objects removed from this 
site includes flaked stone, groundstone, modified bone, modified wood, 
modified stone, modified shell, textiles, floral remains, basketry 
fragments, faunal remains, historic materials, pigment, unmodified 
stone, geologic samples, and soil samples. Of this number, 11 objects 
are currently missing from the collection. California State University, 
Sacramento continues to look for these 11 missing objects.
    In 1963, human remains representing, at minimum, seven individuals 
were removed from CA-AMA-23 (also known as China Gulch) by a Sacramento 
State College (now California State University, Sacramento) field class 
under the direction of Patti Palumbo and William Beeson. The collection 
has been housed at California State University, Sacramento since this 
excavation. Occupation of the site is estimated to have occurred during 
the Late Prehistoric into Historic periods, though there is some 
evidence of an earlier occupation. No known individuals were 
identified. The 11,932 associated funerary objects removed from this 
site includes flaked stone, groundstone, thermally-altered rock, 
modified bone, modified stone, modified shell, floral remains, faunal 
remains, historic materials, pigment, unmodified stone, geologic 
samples, and soil samples.
    In 1963, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals 
were removed from CA-AMA-49 (also known as Big Cave and China Gulch 
Cave) by Sacramento State College (now California State University, 
Sacramento) students under the direction of Jerald J. Johnson. The 
collection has been housed at California State University, Sacramento 
since this excavation. Occupation of the site is estimated to have 
occurred during the Late Prehistoric into Historic periods, though 
there is some evidence of an earlier occupation. No known individuals 
were identified. The 2,087 associated funerary objects removed from 
this site includes flaked stone, modified bone, modified stone, 
modified shell, floral remains, faunal remains, historic materials, 
unmodified stone, and coprolites.
    In 1960, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from CA-AMA-70 (also known as the Goins site) by a 
Sacramento State College (now California State University, Sacramento) 
field class under the direction of William Beeson. The collection has 
been housed at California State University, Sacramento since this 
excavation. Occupation of the site is not known, though there is clear 
evidence of use during the Historic period. No known individuals were 
identified. The 376 associated funerary objects removed from this site 
includes flaked stone, groundstone, modified shell, floral remains, 
faunal remains, historic materials, unmodified stone, pigment, 
thermally-altered rock, geologic samples, and soil samples. Of this 
number, 24 objects are currently missing from the collection. 
California State University, Sacramento continues to look for these 24 
missing objects.
    In 1963, human remains representing, at minimum, 18 individuals 
were removed from CA-AMA-91 (also known as the Dier site) by a 
Sacramento State College (now California State University, Sacramento) 
field class with other students from American River College and 
community volunteers under contract with EBMUD. The collection has been 
housed at California State University, Sacramento since this 
excavation. Occupation of the site is estimated to have occurred during 
the Late Prehistoric into Historic periods, though there is some 
evidence of an earlier occupation. No known individuals were 
identified. The 5,511 associated funerary objects removed from this 
site include baked clay, flaked stone, groundstone, modified bone, 
modified stone, modified shell, floral remains, faunal remains, 
historic materials, pigment, unmodified stone, clay insect nest, and 
soil samples.

Cultural Affiliation

    Based on the information available and the results of consultation, 
cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available 
about the human remains and associated funerary objects described in 
this notice.

Determinations

    California State University, Sacramento and EBMUD have determined 
that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 31 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 26,363 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 reasonable connection between the human remains 
and associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Buena 
Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California; California Valley 
Miwok Tribe, California; Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of 
California; Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California; Jackson Band of 
Miwuk Indians; Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs 
Rancheria (Verona Tract), California; United Auburn Indian Community of 
the Auburn Rancheria of California; and the Wilton Rancheria, 
California.

Requests for Repatriation

    Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the 
authorized representative identified in this notice under 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

[[Page 16792]]

notice to a requestor may occur on or after April 8, 2024. If competing 
requests for repatriation are received, California State University, 
Sacramento and EBMUD 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. California State University, Sacramento and 
EBMUD are 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 10.10.

    Dated: February 29, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-04992 Filed 3-7-24; 8:45 am]
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