[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71396-71397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19674]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038624; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Texas Tech University, 
Lubbock, TX

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 Museum of Texas Tech University 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 October 3, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Eileen Johnson, Museum of Texas Tech University, 3301 
4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79415, telephone (806) 742-2442, email 
[email protected]. Mailing Address: Dr. Eileen Johnson, Museum of 
Texas Tech University, Box 43191, Lubbock, TX 79409

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 
Museum of Texas Tech Univresity, 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, 17 individuals have been reasonably identified. The 31,401 
associated funerary objects are: an awl; awl case; beads; bear claws; 
bells; belt; bridle parts; bowl; bracelets; bridle ornaments; buckles; 
bugle; buttons; canisters; chains; cloth; conchos cordage; decorated 
fringe; elk horn scrapers with blades; faunal material; files; fossil; 
hammer; handles; harmonica; horse hair; bone tubes; jingles; leather; 
lithics; pieces of metal; metal pipe; mirrors; nails; necklaces; 
soapstone pipe; pouch with vermillion; rings; rivets; robe; saddle; 
saddle horns; saddle ornaments; saddle parts; shell hair pipes; sinew; 
spoons; stirrups; tacks; tinklers; unidentified organic materials; 
unworked stone; whip; whistle; wood pieces; and wood tubes.
    Between 1929 and 1939, human skeletal remains representing at least 
one juvenile individual were found near Paducah, Texas and removed by 
Mac Biddy. Biddy donated the human skeletal remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Museum between 1929 and 1939. The 294 
associated funerary objects include: beads; cloth; a harmonica; 
buttons; studs and tacks; bells; stirrups; bridle bits; chain; 
bracelets; metal rings; metal files; handles; conchos; saddle 
ornaments; buckles; a spoon; a hammer head; canisters; leather pieces; 
sinew pieces; wood pieces; a ceremonial whip handle; a can; and metal 
pieces.
    In 1940, human remains representing at least two adult individuals 
were found by the Civilian Conservation Corps working on the Dean Ranch 
near Lamesa, Texas. The human skeletal remains and associated funerary 
objects were removed by Porter Montgomery (Museum employee) and 
accessioned in 1940. The 56 associated funerary objects include: 
bracelets; spoon; metal pipe; cone jingles; metal pieces; beads; 
leather pieces; elk horn scrapers with metal blades; incised bone tube; 
and a Mesozoic tooth segment.
    In the 1930s, human skeletal remains representing at least four 
individuals (two adult, one juvenile, and one infant) were found and 
removed by Dr. Cyrus N. Ray at Berry Farm, 20 miles west of Colorado 
City, Texas. Ray donated the human skeletal remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Museum in 1946. The four associated funerary 
objects are: three bridle ornaments; and a jackrabbit bone.
    In 1955, human skeletal remains representing at least four 
individuals (one adult, one subadult, and two juvenile) were found in a 
rock shelter near Stanton, Texas and removed by Claude McKaskle. 
McKaskle donated the human skeletal remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Museum in 1956. The 1,387 funerary objects include: a 
soapstone pipe; saddle; hide robe; leather pieces; gourd bowl; buttons; 
bracelets; textile pieces representing saddle blankets and trade cloth; 
bear claws; bone whistle; wooden pieces; stirrup; bead necklaces; 
beads; horse hair; metal rings; conchos; lithics; faunal remains; and 
organic material.
    In 1955, human skeletal remains representing at least one juvenile 
individual were found by J.D. White in a field heavily disturbed by 
plowing in the southwest portion of Yoakum County, Texas, approximately 
seven miles west and two miles north of Denver City. The human skeletal 
remains and associated funerary objects were unearthed by Jane Holden 
Kelley (Museum employee) in 1955 and subsequently lent to the 
University of Texas in Austin for research in 1961. The collection was 
not returned until 1988 and was accessioned in 1996. The 1,954 
associated funerary objects include: shell hair pipes; textile 
fragments; cordage; fringe; parts of a bridle; bridle ornaments; metal 
pieces; a bugle; buttons; bracelets; saddle horn; saddle nails; 
buckles; rivets and tacks; a ring; bells; conchos; beads; leather with 
beads; leather; a scabbard; copper jingles; wood pieces; leather belt; 
leather pouch containing vermillion; and a partial horse skeleton.
    Between 1995 and 2001, human skeletal remains representing at least 
three individuals (two adult and one juvenile) were found in a rock 
shelter in Blanco Canyon on the Overstreet Ranch. The human skeletal 
remains were donated to the Museum by Joyce Owens and accessioned in 
2001. Associated funerary objects were removed but were retained by the 
landowner. These objects included: horse trappings; beads; conchos; 
hair pipes; tinklers; and bracelets.
    In 1960, human skeletal remains representing at least one adult 
individual were found in a small re-entrant creek valley in the canyon 
breaks near Post, Texas and removed by Zoe Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick 
donated the human skeletal remains and associated funerary objects to 
the Museum in 2007. The 26,645 associated funerary objects include: a 
metal ring;

[[Page 71397]]

metal tinklers; metal brackets; mirrors; bracelets; buttons; leather; 
textile; leather belt; conchos; an awl and awl case; saddle ornaments; 
chain; stirrups; bits; saddle horn; bridle ornaments; leather with 
bridle ornaments attached; metal pieces; buckles; leather pieces; 
rivets; shell hair pipes; and beads.
    In 1984, human skeletal remains representing at least one adult 
were removed by Robert C. Palmer on his property in Martin County, 
Texas. The burial was located in Mustang Draw, between Mustang Pond and 
Mustang Springs on the upper valley margin. Palmer donated the burial 
to the Museum of the Southwest who transferred the burial to the Museum 
of Texas Tech University in 2012 for NAGPRA reporting purposes. The 
1,061 associated funerary objects include beads and faunal material. 
Additional funerary objects were removed but were retained by the 
landowner. These objects included: horse trappings; a bone flute; other 
metal objects including a strike a light, metal knife, and metal 
projectile point; lithic material including shaft straighteners; and 
additional glass beads.

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 Museum of Texas Tech University has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 17 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 31,401 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 
Comanche Nation, Oklahoma.

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 October 3, 2024. If 
competing requests for repatriation are received, the Museum of Texas 
Tech University 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 Museum of Texas Tech University 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 26, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-19674 Filed 8-30-24; 8:45 am]
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