[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67492-67493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18680]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038528; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: University of North Dakota, Grand 
Forks, ND

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 North Dakota 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 19, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Crystal Alberts, University of North Dakota, Twamley 
Hall Room 300, 264 Centennial Drive, Grand Forks, ND 58202, phone (701) 
777-2393, 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 
University of North Dakota, 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, three individuals have been reasonably identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present. The University of North Dakota (UND) and 
Indiana University, Bloomington (IU) have no record of any potentially 
hazardous substances being used to treat the human remains described in 
this notice.
    Between June 25-August 1, 1948, as part of the Missouri Valley 
Project of the Smithsonian River Basin Surveys, former UND faculty 
member Gordon W. Hewes and a field team excavated two or more mound 
groups in Barnes County, ND from a site later designated 32BA1 and 
referred to as Baldhill Mounds. In 1949, Hewes placed a number of human 
remains and associated funerary objects from 32BA1 on indefinite loan 
to IU through former IU faculty member, Georg K. Neumann.
    In March 2022, human remains from 32BA1 were found on UND's campus 
in the Department of Anthropology. Some of the human remains detailed 
in this notice from 32BA1 were found on IU's campus sometime between 
2021 and 2022. Separately, human remains from 32BA1 were sent to the 
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History at an unknown time by an 
unknown individual or individuals. The human remains were transported 
back to IU from the Smithsonian in February 2024. In November 2023, UND 
recalled the loan, and in March 2024, UND faculty transported the human 
remains from IU to UND.
    Based on the information available, human remains representing, at 
least, two individuals have been reasonably identified, along with 51 
associated funerary objects, consisting of faunal bones and faunal bone 
fragments. The University of North Dakota (UND) and Indiana University, 
Bloomington (IU) have no record of any potentially hazardous substances 
being used to treat the human remains and associated funerary objects 
described in this notice. Henry Montgomery, former UND faculty member 
and acting President, conducted numerous excavations of mounds in 
Ramsey County, ND and Nelson County, ND in mid-August-September 1887. 
Montgomery also excavated two mounds within Grand Forks County, ND, as 
well as mounds in Walsh County, ND now with the designation 32WA1 
(Blasky or Fordville Mounds). In 1949, Gordon W. Hewes, former UND 
faculty, placed these human remains and associated funerary objects on 
indefinite loan to IU through former IU faculty member, Georg K. 
Neumann. The human remains and associated funerary objects detailed in 
this notice were found on IU's campus sometime between 2021 and 2022. 
In November 2023, UND recalled the loan, and in March 2024, UND faculty 
transported the human remains and associated funerary objects from IU 
to UND.

Cultural Affiliation

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

Determinations

    The University of North Dakota has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of five individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 51 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 
described in this notice and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the 
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate 
of the Lake Traverse Reservation, South Dakota; Spirit Lake Tribe, 
North Dakota; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota; Three 
Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota; and 
the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North 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 September 19, 2024. 
If competing requests for repatriation are received, the University of 
North Dakota 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 University of North Dakota is responsible for 
sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes

[[Page 67493]]

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 7, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-18680 Filed 8-19-24; 8:45 am]
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