[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19867-19868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05854]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037599; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum 
of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA

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 Pennsylvania Museum of 
Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum) has completed an inventory 
of human remains and has determined that there is a cultural 
affiliation between the human remains and Indian Tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains in this notice may occur on or 
after April 19, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Christopher Woods, Williams Director, University of 
Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South Street, 
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6324, telephone (215) 898-4050, 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 
Penn Museum, 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

    Based on the information available, human remains representing, at 
least, two individuals have been reasonably identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present. The human remains are a cranium of one 
individual who was recorded as female, aged 9 to 11 years old from 
Georgia. Dr. J. Hutchins was in possession of the human remains by 
1840. The human remains are a cranium and mandible of one individual 
who was recorded as male, aged 40 to 50 years old. Dr. W.J. Wilson was 
in possession of the human remains by 1839. Both individuals were 
identified as ``Choctaw.'' The human remains of both individuals were 
transferred to Dr. Samuel G. Morton no later than 1840. After Morton's 
death in 1851, the remains were transferred to the Academy of Natural 
Sciences in 1853. In 1966, the human remains were loaned to the Penn 
Museum, and in 1997, they were formally gifted to the Penn Museum (PM# 
97-606-22 and PM# 97-606-408).

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.

Determinations

    The Penn Museum has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of two individuals of Native American ancestry.
     There is a reasonable connection between the human remains 
described in this notice and the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; 
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; and The Choctaw Nation of 
Oklahoma.

Requests for Repatriation

    Written requests for repatriation of the human remains in this 
notice must be sent to the authorized representatives 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

[[Page 19868]]

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 in this notice to a requestor may 
occur on or after April 19, 2024. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the Penn Museum must determine the most 
appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint 
repatriation of the human remains are considered a single request and 
not competing requests. The Penn Museum 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 10.10.

    Dated: March 11, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-05854 Filed 3-19-24; 8:45 am]
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