Federal Register / Vol. 60 No. 156 / Monday, August 14, 1995 /
Notices Page 41898 & 41899
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains
and Associated Funerary Objects from the State of Texas in the
Possession of The Fort Hood Archeological Laboratory, Ft. Hood,
TX
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior
ACTION: Notice
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Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C.
3003(d), of the completion of the inventory of human remains and
associated funerary objects in the curation facility of the
Directorate of Public Works at Fort Hood, TX from five sites in
the state of Texas.
A detailed inventory and assessment of these remains has been
made by the staff archeologist at Fort Hood in consultation with
representatives of the Comanche Tribe of Oklahoma and the Tonkawa
tribe of Oklahoma. Copies of this inventory have also been sent
to the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, the Wichita and Affiliated
Tribes, the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma and the Kiowa Tribe.
The partial and fragmentary human remains of 48 individuals were
recovered in 1985 from a vandalized burial ground at Javalina
shelter in Bell County, Texas. A total of 1,214 bones and
fragments were recovered from the surface where they had been
discarded by vandals. Inventory and examination of the remains
established that the partial remains of 20 adults, ten
adolescents, nine children and nine infants were present. Sex of
the remains could not be determined. No known individuals were
identified. Artifacts recovered from the site with the remains
included a flake of obsidian and debitage of local cherts.
This site has been identified as being within the Comanche's
traditional occupation area based on the abnormal number of
juvenile remains, suggesting a historical disease epidemic,
evidence of access to obsidian, the Comanche occupation of
Central Texas in historic times, and consultation with the
Comanche Tribe. Based on the above mentioned information,
officials of the Fort Hood Archeological Laboratory have
determined that, pursuant to 25U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a
relationship of shared group identity which can be reasonably
traced between these human remains and associated funerary
objects and the Comanche Tribe. Officials of the Fort Hood
Archeological Laboratory have also determined that the artifacts
are reasonably believed to have been placed with individual human
remains either at the time of death or later as a part of a death
rite or ceremony of a culture, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A).
On November 22, 1991 the above human remains and associated
funerary objects were repatriated to the Reverend John Pahdocony
of the Comanche Cemetery Committee on behalf of the Comanche
Tribal Council.
The partial and fragmentary remains of a one adult individual
were collected in 1986 from an erosional gully on the bank of the
Leon River near Fort Griffin, Bell County, Texas. The remains
eroded from the bank of the Leon River near a dark and dense
midden deposit from an open campsite on the flood plain. The sex
of the individual could not be determined. No known individual
was identified.
This site has been identified as being within the Comanche's
traditional occupation area, based on consultation with
representatives of the Comanche Tribe and written historic
records.
Officials of the Fort Hood Archeological Laboratory have
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a
relationship of shared group identity which can be reasonably
traced between these human remains and the Comanche Tribe.
On November 22, 1992 the above mentioned human remains were
repatriated to Phillip R. Narcomey of the Comanche Cemetery
Committee on behalf of the Comanche Tribal Council.
The partial and fragmentary remains of a one adult individual
were collected in 1992 from the surface of a vandalized burial
site (41BL0844). The remains consist of nine bone fragments. No
known individual was identified.
This site has been identified as being within the Comanche's
traditional occupation area, based on consultation with
representatives of the Comanche Tribe and written historic
records.
Officials of the Fort Hood Archeological Laboratory have
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a
relationship of shared group identity which can be reasonably
traced between these human remains and the Comanche Tribe.
On November 21, 1993 the above mentioned human remains were
repatriated to Phillip R. Narcomey of the Comanche Cemetery
Committee on behalf of the Comanche Tribal Council.
The partial and fragmentary human remains of six individuals were
recovered during the summer of 1990 from a rockshelter site
(41BL671) on Fort Hood, by a field school conducted by Texas A&M
University. Inventory and examination of the remains established
that the remains of two adult males, one adult female, one child
between the ages of 6 and 10 years, one new-born child, and an
individual whose age and sex could not be determined. Artifacts
recovered elsewhere in the site suggested it was occupied by
peoples of the Toyah and Austin Foci, acknowledged as ancestral
to the Tonkawa Tribe. No known individuals were identified.
This site has been identified as being within the Tonkawa's
aboriginal occupation area based on the oral traditions of the
Tonkawa tribe and historic accounts of their occupations in
central Texas through consultations with representatives of the
Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma. Officials of the Fort Hood
Archeological Laboratory have determined that, pursuant to 25
U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of shared group identity
which can be reasonably traced between these human remains and
the Tonkawa Tribe who are generally acknowledged to have occupied
the Bell County area of central Texas before the arrival of the
Comanche in the eighteenth century.
On November 20, 1994 the above six human remains were repatriated
to Ms. Virginia Combrink, President of the Tonkawa Tribe of
Oklahoma on behalf of that Tribe.
Between 1984 and February 25, 1986, 78 fragments of human bone
representing four individuals were collected from rockshelter
site (41BL0069) on Fort Hood, by a field party from Texas A&M
University. Inventory and examination of the remains established
that the remains of two adult individuals, one adolescent, and
one child between the ages of 6 and 10 years, sex could not be
determined. Artifacts recovered elsewhere in the site suggested
it was occupied by prehistoric peoples of the Toyah and Austin
Foci. No known individuals were identified.
This site has been identified as being within the Tonkawa's
aboriginal occupation area based on the oral traditions of the
Tonkawa tribe and historic accounts of their occupations in
central Texas through consultations with representatives of the
Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma. Officials of the Fort Hood
Archeological Laboratory have determined that, pursuant to
25U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of shared group
identity which can be reasonably traced between these human
remains and the Tonkawa Tribe who are generally acknowledged to
have occupied the Bell County area of central Texas before the
arrival of the Comanche in the eighteenth century.
During the 1978 recording of 41CV0130 on Fort Hood a single
fragment of a human adult femur was recovered from surface spoil.
41CV0130 also yielded evidence of occupation during the late
archaic period.
This site has been identified as being within the Tonkawa's
aboriginal occupation area based on the oral traditions of the
Tonkawa tribe and historic accounts of their occupations in
central Texas through consultations with representatives of the
Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma. Officials of the Fort Hood
Archeological Laboratory have determined that, pursuant to
25U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of shared group
identity which can be reasonably traced between these human
remains and the Tonkawa Tribe who are generally acknowledged to
have occupied the Bell County area of central Texas before the
arrival of the Comanche in the eighteenth century.
This notice has been sent to officials of the Tonkawa tribe of
Oklahoma, The Comanche Tribe, the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes,
the Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma, the Kiowa Tribe and the Apache
Tribe. Representatives of any other Indian tribe which believes
itself to be culturally affiliated with these human remains
should contact Dr. Jack M. Jackson, Fort Hood Staff Archeologist,
HQ III Corps and Fort Hood, attn: AFZF-PW-ENV, Fort Hood, Texas
76544-5057; telephone (817) 287-7965, before September 13, 1995.
Repatriation of the human remains from sites 41BL0069 and
41CV0130 may begin after that date if no additional claimants
come forward.
Dated: August 7, 1995
Francis P. McManamon
Departmental Consulting Archeologist
Chief, Archeological Assistance Division
[FR Doc. 95-19958; Filed 8-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F
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