[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63967-63968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17262]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038402; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Western Washington University, 
Department of Anthropology, Bellingham, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), Western Washington University (WWU) has 
completed an inventory of human

[[Page 63968]]

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. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from 45-WH-564, Point Roberts, Whatcom County, WA.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after September 5, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Judith Pine, Western Washington University, Department 
of Anthropology, Arntzen Hall 340, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 
98225, telephone (360) 650-4783, 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 
WWU, and additional information on the determinations in this notice, 
including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or 
related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

    Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been 
identified. The 21 associated funerary objects are stone, bone and 
antler tools and carved items, and ochre stained stone. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from 45-WH-564, 
Point Roberts, Whatcom County, WA.
    This collection was donated to WWU circa 1989 by Cliff, Art, and 
Ruth Jorgenson (handwritten note by Sarah Campbell). The sparse notes 
indicate that either Cliff or Art was a backhoe operator and that the 
human remains and artifacts were collected in the 1950s and 1960s 
during construction of the Whalen Development. This is also referred to 
as Whalen Point and the Whalen Site.
    The 1995 WWU NAGPRA Inventory reported a possible MNI of two-to-
four individuals. During the WWU 2018-2020 Repatriation and Rehousing 
Project, the minimum number of individuals was determined to be two. 
Also, during tribal consultation in 2024, Lummi Nation Cultural 
Specialist, Ralph Tom, newly identified 21 associated funerary objects. 
No known individuals were identified. No hazardous chemicals are known 
to have been used to treat the human remains or associated funerary 
objects while in the custody of WWU.
    The human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice 
are connected to one or more identifiable earlier groups, tribes, 
peoples, or cultures. There is a relationship of shared group identity 
between the identifiable earlier groups, tribes, peoples, or cultures 
and one or more Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. The 
following types of information were used to reasonably trace the 
relationship: anthropological information, archaeological information, 
geographical information, historical information, and oral tradition.

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

    The WWU has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of at least two individuals of Native American 
ancestry.
     The 21 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 connection between the human remains and 
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Lummi 
Tribe for the Lummi Reservation; Nooksack Indian Tribe; and the Samish 
Indian Nation.

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 an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with 
cultural affiliation.
    Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after September 
5, 2024. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the WWU 
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. The WWU 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: July 26, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-17262 Filed 8-5-24; 8:45 am]
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