Federal Register, Volume 76 Issue 119 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011
[Notices]
[Pages 36153-36154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15433]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]

Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region, Boise, ID

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Pacific Northwest Region has completed an inventory of human remains 
and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate 
Indian tribe, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation 
between the human remains and associated funerary objects and a 
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 Bureau of Reclamation, 
Pacific Northwest Region. Repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects to the Indian tribe stated below may occur 
if no additional claimants 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 Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest 
Region at the address below by July 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Sean Hess, Archeologist, Grand Coulee Power Office, 
Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 620, Grand Coulee, WA 99133, telephone 
(509) 633-9233.

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 control of the U.S. Department of 
the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region, Boise, 
ID, and in the physical custody of Central Washington University, 
Ellensburg, WA. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from lands within the boundaries of the Colville Indian 
Reservation, Okanogan County, WA.
    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 
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 a Central 
Washington University physical anthropologist, under contract to the 
Bureau of Reclamation. The assessment included research to find the 
current locations of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
from 45OK7, so they could be returned to the Bureau of Reclamation's 
control and included in the inventory and repatriation. Consultation by 
Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region was done with the 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1950, human remains representing a minimum of five individuals 
were recovered from archeological site 45OK7, on the east bank of the 
Columbia River, below the Grand Coulee Dam, in Okanogan County, WA, 
during archeological investigations conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers in association with construction of Chief Joseph Dam. The 
site is on Federal lands under the Bureau of Reclamation's jurisdiction 
that are within the boundaries of the Colville Indian Reservation. The 
archeological site consisted of three house pits and an undocumented 
number of grave pits, which had been previously disturbed by looters. 
The recovered archeological materials, including the human remains and 
associated funerary objects, were sent to the Washington State Museum, 
Seattle, WA (now the Thomas Burke Washington State Memorial Museum). No 
known individuals were identified. The 12 associated funerary objects 
are 1 lot of beads strung on twine, 1 mammal bone fragment, 1 
individual bone bead, 2 mussel or clam shell beads, 1 fragment of 
rolled copper, 2 lots of items consisting of loose dentalia beads or 
fragments, 2 lots of dentalia beads strung on bark twine, 1 lot of 
fragments of rolled copper beads strung on bark twine, and 1 bone 
harpoon point.
    During the years since recovery, the human remains from 45OK7 have 
been transferred between several museums and institutions, often with 
little

[[Page 36154]]

documentation of the materials included in the transfer. In some 
instances, skeletal elements of the same individual were separated and 
sent to multiple locations. Between 1957 and sometime prior to 1966, 
the Burke Museum transferred the remains of two individuals from Pit 5 
(identified as 5A and 5B) to the Western Washington University, 
Bellingham, WA. These individuals stayed at Western Washington 
University until October 2009, when they were transferred to Central 
Washington University as part of the NAGPRA inventory effort. In 
February 1974, the Burke Museum transferred four individuals, recovered 
from Pits 4, 5, and 6 (identified as 4, 5A, 5B, and 6), to Central 
Washington University. These four individuals have remained at Central 
Washington University. In March 1974, the Burke Museum transferred all 
remaining skeletal elements (4, 5A, 5B, and 6) to Seattle University, 
Seattle, WA. In January 1990, Seattle University transferred two 
skeletal elements from individual 5A to the Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington, where they were placed in the 
Colville Tribal Repository, in Nespelem, WA. In March 2006, the 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington, 
transferred temporary custody of this individual to Central Washington 
University in order to supplement the inventory of that individual's 
remains. Upon completion of the inventory, the two elements from 
individual 5A were returned to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation (they are presently at the Colville Tribal Repository). In 
December 1991, Seattle University transferred the other elements of 
individual 5A, as well as the skeletal elements they held from 
individuals 4, 5B, and 6, to an organization called Daybreak Star 
Indian Cultural Center. In June 1993, on behalf of Seattle University, 
the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center transferred the human remains 
in their possession back to the Burke Museum. In October 2006, the 
Burke Museum transferred all remains in their possession (i.e., the 
remains returned to them by Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center) to 
Central Washington University in order to facilitate the Bureau of 
Reclamation's NAGPRA inventory effort. With the exception of the two 
elements from individual 5A that are at the Colville Tribal Repository, 
all known skeletal elements from the individuals recovered from 45OK7, 
as well as all the associated funerary objects recovered in 1950, are 
now at Central Washington University.
    No physical description of the human remains was prepared at the 
time of recovery. Between 1950 and 1957, Roger Heglar, a University of 
Washington graduate student, analyzed the burials from 45OK7. That 
inventory documented the partial remains of four individuals in 
collections; the field records indicated the excavators, in 1950, had 
believed the remains of three individuals were recovered. A 1966 
inventory by the Burke Museum also indentified four individuals. 
However, the current physical inventory completed by Central Washington 
University determined that the collection of skeletal elements 
previously identified as individual 5A actually included skeletal 
elements of two individuals. In conclusion, elements from five 
individuals (4, 5A, 5B individual 1, 5B individual 2, and 6) recovered 
from site 45OK7 are presently in collections.
    Osteological evidence documented by the physical anthropologist, 
the archeological association of the materials with a prehistoric site, 
and the kinds of associated funerary objects recovered, indicate that 
the human remains described above are Native American. The geographic 
location of the site within the Plateau Culture Area, tribal oral 
tradition, and anthropological and historical research all indicate 
that site 45OK7 lies within an area occupied by the San Poil and 
Nespelem tribes or bands, who are members of and legally represented by 
the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington. 
Moreover, site 45OK7 is situated within the exterior boundaries of the 
Colville Indian Reservation, WA.

Determinations Made by the Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest 
Region

    Officials of the Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region 
have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of five individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 12 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 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native 
American human remains and associated funerary objects and the 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Dr. Sean Hess, Archeologist, Grand Coulee Power 
Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 620, Grand Coulee, WA 99133, 
telephone (509) 633-9233, before July 21, 2011. Repatriation of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Confederated 
Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington, may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region is responsible 
for notifying the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington, that this notice has been published.

    Dated: June 15, 2011.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2011-15433 Filed 6-20-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P