[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 102 (Friday, May 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45918-45919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11448]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0037977; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Tennessee, 
Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN

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) 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 June 24, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Ellen Lofaro, University of Tennessee, Office of 
Repatriation, 5723 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN 37921-6053, 
telephone (865) 974-3370, 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 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, six individuals have been reasonably identified. These 
individuals were removed from an unknown site in Woodville (Wilkinson 
County), Mississippi. The burials were exposed in late September or 
early October 1978 during road construction and reported to the 
Sheriff's Office. Probably after

[[Page 45919]]

determining the burials were Native American and not a case for law 
enforcement, the individuals were transferred to Robert W. Neuman, 
Curator of Anthropology at Louisiana State University. In November 
1978, Sharon Goad brought the individuals to UTK on Neuman's behalf and 
gave them to Charles Faulkner for William Bass to examine. Once Bass 
completed his assessment and sent a report to Neuman (January 1979), 
the individuals were retained by the UTK Forensic Anthropology Center 
(FAC) as case 1978/78AA. They remained in the FAC until they were 
transferred to the UTK Office of Repatriation. No associated funerary 
objects are present. While some of the human remains have been 
``repaired'' using glue, no known hazardous substances were used to 
treat any of the remains.
    Wilkinson County, MS is part of lands ceded to the United States by 
the Choctaw in the Treaty of Fort Adams in 1801.

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 described in this 
notice.

Determinations

    UTK has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of six individuals of Native American ancestry.
     There is a reasonable connection between the human remains 
and associated funerary objects described in this notice 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 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 in this notice to a requestor may 
occur on or after June 24, 2024. If competing requests for repatriation 
are received, UTK 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. UTK 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: May 15, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-11448 Filed 5-23-24; 8:45 am]
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