[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65927-65928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17980]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038479; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: New York State Museum, Albany, NY

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 New York State Museum (NYSM) 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 September 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Lisa Anderson, New York State Museum, 3049 Cultural 
Education Center, Albany, NY 12230, telephone (518) 486-2020, 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 
New York State Museum, 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, seven individuals have been 
identified. The 310 associated funerary objects are 243 Meadowood cache 
blades, one projectile point, two projectile point fragments, one 
biface, two biface fragments, two side-notched projectile points, 10 
stone scrapers, 26 chert flakes, four quartz crystals, four stone 
gorget fragments, one groundstone tool, one groundstone fragment, one 
fire-cracked rock, four hematite samples, two beaver incisors, two 
antler fragments, one turtle shell fragment, one charcoal sample, and 
two soil samples. The human remains and associated funerary objects 
were removed from the Hunter site, Jefferson County, NY, during 
excavations conducted in 1952 by Dr. William A. Ritchie of the NYSM.
    Human remains representing, at least, seven individuals have been 
identified. The 253 associated funerary objects include one copper 
flaking tool with carved wooden handle, 226 Meadowood-type cache 
blades, one chert drill, one chert tool, two groundstone celts, two 
groundstone tools, one piece of fire-cracked rock, four hematite 
samples, four chert flakes, one wood fragment, three calcined bone 
fragments, one Meadowood-type projectile point, one projectile point 
tip, two biface fragments, two chert scrapers, and one utilized chert 
flake. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed 
from the Muskalonge Lake site, Jefferson County, NY, during excavations 
conducted in 1951 and 1952 by Dr. William A. Ritchie of the NYSM.
    Human remains representing, at least, two individuals have been 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human 
remains were removed from Jefferson County, NY, and acquired by the 
NYSM by Mr. Robert D. Loveland in 1912.
    Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human 
remains were removed from Jefferson County, NY, and acquired by the 
NYSM by Mr. Charles P. Oatman in 1913.
    Human remains representing, at least, four individuals have been 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human 
remains were removed from Jefferson County, NY. NYSM has no record of 
the acquisition.
    Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human 
remains were removed from the Colligan site, Jefferson County, NY, and 
acquired by the NYSM from Mr. R.D. Loveland in 1912.
    Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human 
remains were removed from the vicinity of Rutland, Jefferson County, 
NY, and acquired by NYSM in 1897 from Mr. J.S. Twining.
    Human remains representing, at least one individual have been 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The human 
remains were removed from the Atwell Fort site, Madison County, NY, and 
acquired by the NYSM from Mr. Otis M. Bigelow in 1914.

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 New York State Museum has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 24 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 563 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 Oneida 
Indian Nation and the Onondaga 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

[[Page 65928]]

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 
12, 2024. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the New 
York State Museum 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 New York State 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: August 1, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-17980 Filed 8-12-24; 8:45 am]
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