Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Nageezi, NM

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2016)

Federal Register Volume 81, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 8, 2016)

Notices

Pages 12122-12124

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2016-05062

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-20265; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000

Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Nageezi, NM

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Chaco Culture National Historical Park has completed an inventory of human

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remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to Chaco Culture National Historical Park. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request with information in support of the request to Chaco Culture National Historical Park at the address in this notice by April 7, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Lawrence Turk, Superintendent, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, P.O. Box 220, Nageezi, NM 87307, telephone (505) 786-

7014, email larry_turk@nps.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects under the control of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Nageezi, NM. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from unknown locations within a 100 mile radius of Shiprock, NM.

This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3). The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the Superintendent, Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Consultation

A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Chaco Culture National Historical Park professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (previously listed as the Pueblo of San Juan); Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico (hereafter referred to as ``The Consulted Tribes'').

The following tribes were contacted but did not participate in the face-to-face consultation meetings: Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma (previously listed as the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma); Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico (previously listed as the Pueblo of Santo Domingo); Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; San Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & Utah; White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo (previously listed as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas), (hereafter referred to as ``The Invited Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

Between 1928 and 1938, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals were removed from unknown locations within a radius of one hundred miles of Shiprock, NM, by Harold H. Harkness, of Escondido, CA. The human remains were taken into the custody of Chaco Canyon National Monument in 1938. No known individuals were identified. The eight associated funerary objects are one textile, two wooden combs, one wooden duck effigy, one horn artifact, one worked shell artifact, one bone artifact, and one leather artifact.

Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.16, the Secretary of the Interior may make a recommendation for a transfer of control of culturally unidentifiable human remains and associated funerary objects. In September 2015, Chaco Culture National Historical Park requested that the Secretary, through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee, recommend the proposed transfer of control of the culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah. The Review Committee, acting pursuant to its responsibility under 25 U.S.C. 3006(c)(5), considered the request at its November 2015 meeting and recommended to the Secretary that the proposed transfer of control proceed. A January 2016 letter on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior from the Associate Director, Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science transmitted the Secretary's independent review and concurrence with the Review Committee that:

None of The Consulted Tribes objected to the proposed transfer of control and

Chaco Culture National Historical Park may proceed with the agreed upon transfer of control of the culturally unidentifiable human remains and associated funerary objects to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah.

Transfer of control is contingent on the publication of a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that requirement.

Determinations Made by Chaco Culture National Historical Park

Officials of Chaco Culture National Historical Park have determined that:

Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described in this notice are Native American based on osteological analysis.

Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of two individuals of Native American ancestry.

Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the eight objects described in this notice are reasonably believed to have been placed with or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony. The National Park Service intends to convey the associated funerary objects to the tribes pursuant to 54 U.S.C. 102503(g) through (i) and 54 U.S.C 102504.

Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian tribe.

Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.16, the disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects will be to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah.

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Additional Requestors and Disposition

Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request with information in support of the request to Lawrence Turk, Superintendent, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, P.O. Box 220, Nageezi, NM 87307, telephone (505) 786-7014, email larry_turk@nps.gov, by April 7, 2016. After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and the Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah may proceed.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park is responsible for notifying The Consulted Tribes and The Invited Tribes that this notice has been published.

Dated: February 4, 2016.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.

FR Doc. 2016-05062 Filed 3-7-16; 8:45 am

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