Federal Register, Volume 76 Issue 119 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011)
[Notices]
[Pages 36152-36153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15436]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]

Notice of Inventory Completion: Western Michigan University, 
Anthropology Department, Kalamazoo, MI; Correction

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; correction.
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SUMMARY: In a Notice of Inventory Completion (75 FR 67998, Thursday, 
November 4, 2010), Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan, was listed as being culturally affiliated to human remains 
and associated funerary objects removed from the Gyftakis site 
(20MK51), Mackinac County, MI, however, since publication, additional 
consultation has resulted in a determination that the human remains and 
associated funerary objects are culturally unidentifiable. Therefore, 
this Notice of Inventory Completion corrects the affiliation of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects that were removed from 
the Gyftakis site (20MK51), Mackinac County, MI, described in the 
previously published Notice of Inventory Completion to that of 
culturally unidentifiable Native American human remains and associated 
funerary objects.
    Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology has 
completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has 
determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human 
remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian 
tribe. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects may contact the Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology. Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional 
requestors come forward.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes it has a 
cultural affiliation with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact the Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology at the address below by July 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES: LouAnn Wurst, Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan 
University, 1005 Moore Hall, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, telephone (269) 387-
2753.

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 in the possession of Western Michigan 
University, Department of Anthropology, Kalamazoo, MI. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Mackinac 
County, MI.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). The determinations in this notice are the sole 
responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has 
control of the Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Western 
Michigan University, Department of Anthropology professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Bay Mills Indian Community, 
Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan; Sault 
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan; and the Saginaw 
Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan (hereinafter referred to as ``The 
Tribes''). The Tribes do not object to the disposition of the human 
remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice to the 
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1973, human remains representing a minimum of eight individuals 
were removed from the Gyftakis site (20MK51), St. Ignace, Moran 
Township, Mackinac County, MI, during an archeological excavation 
directed by Dr. James Fitting. Middle Woodland period ceramic sherds 
were found during test excavations for the St. Ignace Archaeological 
Survey Project, which prompted further archeological research. The 
burials were found to be in good condition. The human remains were 
transferred to Western Michigan University for curation and further 
analysis by Dr. Robert Sundick, a physical anthropologist in the 
Anthropology Department at Western Michigan University. No known 
individuals were identified. The 20 associated funerary objects are 8 
black bear scapula and fragments, 1 black bear atlas, 1 black bear 
proximal femur head, 1 large bird long bone shaft, 1 possible black 
bear phalanx, 1 possible crane carpometacarpus, 1 raptor 
carpometacarpus, 1 possible small bird long bone, 1 unidentified non-
human cranium fragment, 2 bird or small mammal long bones, and 2 
probable bird phalanxes.
    Native American ancestry was determined based on skeletal and 
dental morphology, as well as the temporal association of the Gyftakis 
Site to the Middle Woodland period (A.D. 170). Radiocarbon dating of a 
sample from an associated hearth and AMS date of ceramic pot residue, 
as well as seriation of the pottery and lithic tools discovered at the 
Gyftakis site which were not associated funerary objects, are all 
indicative of the Middle Woodland period and are clearly of pre-
Contact/European manufacturing.

[[Page 36153]]

Determinations Made by Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology

    Officials of Western Michigan University, Department of 
Anthropology, have determined that:
     Based on skeletal and dental morphology, in addition to 
radiocarbon and AMS dating, and other artifacts which all demonstrate a 
Middle Woodland temporal association, the human remains are Native 
American.
     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.
     Multiple lines of evidence, such as the Treaty of Saginaw 
1819 (also known as the Treaty with the Chippewa of 1819), continued 
occupation of the area, and oral tradition, indicate that the land from 
which the Native American human remains and associated funerary objects 
were removed is the aboriginal land of The Tribes.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of eight individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 20 objects described 
above 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.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains is to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects or any other Indian tribe that believes it satisfies the 
criteria in 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1) should contact LouAnn Wurst, Department 
of Anthropology, Western Michigan University, 1005 Moore Hall, 
Kalamazoo, MI 49008, telephone (269) 387-2753, before July 21, 2011. 
Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the 
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan, may proceed after 
that date if no additional requestors come forward.
    Western Michigan University, Department of Anthropology, is 
responsible for notifying The Tribes that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: June 15, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-15436 Filed 6-20-11; 8:45 am]
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