[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 71 (Thursday, April 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25661-25662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07715]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037716; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Tennessee, 
Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN, and South Dakota State 
Archaeological Research Center, Rapid City, SD

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 Tennessee, Department of 
Anthropology (UTK) and the South Dakota State Archaeological Research 
Center (ARC) have completed an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects and have 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 May 13, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Ozlem Kilic, University of Tennessee, Office of the 
Provost, 527 Andy Holt Tower, Knoxville, TN 37996-0152, telephone (865) 
974-2454, email [email protected] and [email protected] and Dustin Lloyd, South 
Dakota State Archaeological Research Center, 937 East North Street, 
Suite 201, Rapid City, SD 57701, telephone (605) 391-2928, 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 UTK 
and the ARC, 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 from two distinct sites have been reasonably 
identified. The four associated funerary objects are one lot of two 
lots of faunal remains, one lot of ceramics, and one lot of lithics.
    Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed 
from site 39BK101, near Lake Campbell in Brookings County, South 
Dakota. These remains were exposed by animal activity in 1954 and 
removed from the site by a homeowner named Searles. They were taken to 
``State College'' (possibly South Dakota State University), after which 
they were presumably transferred to the South Dakota State 
Archaeological Research Center (ARC). The ARC sent the remains to UTK 
for inventory in 1987. After the inventory project was completed, most 
of the remains were returned to the ARC and repatriated under South 
Dakota state law; however, a few bone fragments retained by UTK were 
found in the Department of Anthropology collections in 2021. No 
associated funerary objects are present at UTK; however, the ARC 
retained three lots of associated funerary objects. These are one lot 
of faunal remains, one lot of ceramics, and one lot of lithics. The 
associated funerary objects were not treated with any type of hazardous 
chemicals/substances nor treated with any type of preservation agent or 
chemical; however, the ceramic and lithic lots are marked with the site 
number and accession number.
    In 1981, human remains were removed from the Hilde Gravel Pit 
(39LK7) in Lake County, South Dakota. The remains were found falling to 
the bottom of a gravel pit and reported to local law enforcement. They 
were removed from the site by Adrian Hannus of the Center for Western 
Studies at Augustana College and sent to John B. Gregg at the 
University of South Dakota School of Medicine for inventory. Gregg 
likely transferred the remains back to Hannus after analysis. Hannus 
probably transferred the individual to the ARC. The ARC sent the 
remains to the UTK Department of Anthropology for inventory in 1987. 
Most of the remains were returned to the ARC after completion of the 
inventory project and repatriated under South Dakota state law; 
however, bone fragments and teeth representing 1 individual were 
retained by UTK and were found in the Department of Anthropology 
collections in 2021. No associated funerary objects are present at UTK: 
however, the ARC retained one lot of associated funerary objects. This 
is one lot of faunal remains. The associated funerary objects were not 
treated with any type of hazardous chemicals/substances nor treated 
with any type of preservation agent or chemical.
    These human remains and objects come from Brookings County and Lake 
County, SD. These counties are part of the treaty lands of the Santee 
Sioux (today both the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, and 
the Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska), as established in Executive Orders 
in 1867 and 1869. The human remains were not treated with any type of 
hazardous chemicals/substances, nor treated with any type of 
preservation agent or chemical.

Cultural Affiliation

    Based on the information available and the results of consultation, 
cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical 
location or acquisition history of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects described in this notice.

Determinations

    The UTK and the ARC have determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of two individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The four objects described in this notice are reasonably 
believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual 
human remains at the time of

[[Page 25662]]

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 
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

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 notice to a requestor may occur on or after May 13, 2024. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, UTK and the ARC 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. UTK and the ARC are 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: April 2, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-07715 Filed 4-10-24; 8:45 am]
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