[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 133 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 56900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15200]



[[Page 56900]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038222; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Southeast Archeological Center, Tallahassee, FL

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 U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC, part of 
the Southeast Regional Office's Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and 
Science Division) 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.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after August 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Julie H. Ernstein, Division Manager, Cultural Resource 
Partnerships and Science Division, National Park Service, Interior 
Region 2: South Atlantic--Gulf, 100 Alabama Street SW, Atlanta, GA 
30303, telephone (404) 909-2240, 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 SEAC, 
and additional information on the determinations in this notice, 
including the results of consultation, can be found in the inventory or 
related records.

Abstract of Information Available

    Based on the information available, human remains representing, at 
least, five individuals have been reasonably identified. The 153 
associated funerary objects are three greenstone ceremonial celts, two 
quartz hammerstones, one pitted stone, four whetstones, one piece of 
petrified wood, four ceramic discs, three stone discs, 14 ceramic 
sherds, one elbow fragment of a biconical clay pipe, four bone awls, 
one antler tip, one flat faunal bone, 107 shell beads, one deer bone, 
three reconstructed ceramic pots, and three reconstructed ceramic water 
bottles.
    On an unknown date prior to 1940, human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from Moundville in Hale and Tuscaloosa 
Counties, AL. These individuals and objects were collected or purchased 
by James Milton Mallory over an unknown period of time. The associated 
funerary objects were first inventoried on April 27, 1932, by the 
Alabama Museum of Natural History. Following Mr. Mallory's demise in 
1940, the individuals and objects entered Works Projects Administration 
(WPA) collections and were later transferred to National Park Service 
collections after the WPA ceased in 1943.

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

    SEAC has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of five individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 153 objects described in this notice are reasonably 
believed to have been placed intentionally 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 
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town; 
Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; Kialegee 
Tribal Town; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians; Mississippi Band of Choctaw 
Indians; Poarch Band of Creek Indians; Seminole Tribe of Florida; The 
Chickasaw Nation; The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; The Muscogee (Creek) 
Nation; The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; and the Thlopthlocco Tribal 
Town.

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 August 12, 2024. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, SEAC 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. SEAC 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: June 26, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-15200 Filed 7-10-24; 8:45 am]
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