[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 32986]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13461]



[[Page 32986]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-10130: 2200-1100-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, 
U.S. Marine Corps, San Diego County, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton has completed an 
inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian 
tribes, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between 
the human remains and present-day Indian tribes. Representatives of any 
Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with the 
human remains may contact Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. 
Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribes 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 should contact the U.S. 
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton at the address below by July 5, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Danielle Page, Cultural Resources Branch Head and Base 
Archaeologist, AC/S Environmental Security, Marine Corps Base, Box 
555008, Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5008, telephone (760) 725-9738.

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 in the 
possession of Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton, U.S. Marine 
Corps, San Diego County, CA. The human remains were removed from the 
construction site of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) 
on MCB Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, California.
    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. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by MCB Camp 
Pendleton Environmental Security Cultural Resources Branch professional 
staff in consultation with representatives of the La Jolla Band of 
Luiseno Indians, California (formerly the La Jolla Band of Luiseno 
Mission Indians of the La Jolla Reservation); Pala Band of Luiseno 
Mission Indians of the Pala Reservation, California; Pauma Band of 
Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation, California; 
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Pechanga Reservation, 
California; Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians of the Rincon 
Reservation, California; and the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, 
California (hereafter referred to as ``The Tribes''). Consultation was 
also conducted with representatives of non-Federally recognized Indian 
groups including the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians and the San Luis 
Rey Band of Mission Indians.

History and Description of the Remains

    In the late 1960s or early 1970s, human remains representing, at 
minimum, three individuals were removed from a burial site by a Bechtel 
engineer, Mr. Brock, during the construction of the San Onofre Nuclear 
Generating Station (SONGS) at MCB Camp Pendleton. Bechtel relocated the 
human remains at the time of discovery, but they were subsequently 
removed by Mr. Brock during an engineering survey. Mr. Brock took the 
remains to his home, and after his death, his wife engaged a neighbor 
to return the remains to a local tribe. The neighbor contacted the 
Native American Heritage Commission who subsequently contacted Mr. 
David Belardes of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians. Mr. Belardes 
turned over the remains to the MCB Camp Pendleton Cultural Resources 
Branch for proper disposition. On August 29, 2007, MCB Camp Pendleton 
took possession of the human remains. The remains include the cranium 
of a Native American male, age 18-25 years old, three cranial 
fragments, two mandible fragments, one pelvic fragment, one humerus 
fragment, and one femur fragment. No known individuals were identified. 
No associated funerary objects are present.
    Based on the geographical location reported by Mr. Belardes and an 
examination of the remains during inventory these individuals have been 
identified as Native American. Consultation evidence presented by 
representatives of the Luiseno tribes identified adjacent sites in the 
northern coastal region of MCB Camp Pendleton as pre-contact gathering, 
occupation, and burial areas. Ethnographic sources and present 
archeological theory place the Luiseno tribes within this geographic 
area of San Diego County from about 2000 B.P. to the present-day. The 
geographical location within ethnographically recorded Luiseno tribal 
territory as well as the late time period archeologically associated 
with the Luiseno strongly affiliated the human remains with the Luiseno 
tribes.

Determinations Made by Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

    Officials of the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton have determined 
that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of three individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     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 The Tribes.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes it may be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Danielle 
Page, Cultural Resources Branch Head and Base Archaeologist, AC/S 
Environmental Security, Marine Corps Base, Box 555008, Camp Pendleton, 
CA 92055-5008, telephone (760) 725-9738, before July 5, 2012. 
Repatriation of the human remains to the Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission 
Indians of the Pauma & Yuima Reservation, California, on behalf of The 
Tribes may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is responsible for notifying The 
Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: May 30, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-13461 Filed 6-1-12; 8:45 am]
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