FR Doc E9-4673[Federal Register: March 5, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 42)]
[Notices]               
[Page 9625-9626]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05mr09-62]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

 Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Southwest Museum 
of the American Indian, Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.
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    Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent 
to repatriate cultural items in the possession of the Southwest Museum 
of the American Indian, Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA, that 
meet the definition of "unassociated funerary objects" under 25 
U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural 
items. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the unassociated funerary objects was made 
by the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Picayune 
Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian 
Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table Mountain 
Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River 
Reservation of California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the 
Tuolumne Rancheria of California.
    In 1935, unassociated funerary objects were removed from site P-15-
000116 (CA-KER-116) in Elk Hills Cemetery, Buena Vista Lake, Kern 
County, CA, by Edwin F. Walker, Southwest Museum Research Associate, 
and were donated to the museum that same year. The 5,508 unassociated 
funerary objects (207 inventory numbers) are 2 abalone shell 
containers; 2 abraders; 1 arrow straightener; 36 arrow points (3 arrow 
points, 5 chalcedony, 4 chalcedony and chert, 6 obsidian, 1 red 
carnelian, 5 stone, 12 obsidian and chalcedony); 2 asphaltum pieces; 3 
balls (1 granite, 1 sandstone, and 1 wood); 9 basket fragments, 1 bag 
with tiny beads and fragments and 5,156 individual beads (15 clam shell 
beads, 10 pismo clam shell beads, 4 Amethystine beads, 2,010 trade 
beads, 1 serpetine bead, 51 steatite beads, 2 stone beads, 22 red and 
white beads, 307 Olivella beads, 365 Red Beads, 2,065 blue beads, 42 
black beads, 113 Green Beads, 111 white, 1 yellow, 19 Amber beads, 3 
pink beads, 3 miscellaneous beads, 1 unknown bead, 3 soapstone beads, 1 
crystal beads, 2 shell beads, and 5 tubular beads); 2 boiling stones; 1 
glass bottle neck; 3 bowls (1 sandstone, 1 stone, and 1seatite); 20 
bowl fragments (5 steatite, 7 sandstone, 1 wooden, and 7 soapstone); 1 
brush; 1 bull roarer fragment; 10 buttons (8 brass and 2 metal); 2 
charmstones; 1 chert chalcedony; 2 china pitchers; 1 china saucer; 5 
bird claws; 1 comal; 2 cooking stones; 3 crosses (2 metal crosses and 1 
silver cross); 1 crystal; 2 crystal and mica fragments; 5 quartz 
crystal fragments; 8 dice; 43 pieces of fabric with tiny fragments; 1 
piece of fur; 11 gaming piece fragments; 6 gaming stick fragments; 5 
glass fragments; 6 glass bottle fragments; 1 abalone gorget; 1 kilt 
fragment with tiny fragments; 7 knives (1 iron blade knife, 6 
chalcedony); 7 leather fragments; 2 mica fragments; 1

[[Page 9626]]

possible mouth piece; 1 clam shell necklace with 10 large beads; 1 
olla; 11 abalone ornaments; 72 shell ornaments (8 abalone, 42 Olivella, 
16 clam, 5 steatite, and 1 trade); 1 possible palette; 8 pendants (4 
abalone, 2 mica, and 2 bead pendants); 1 pestle; 1 pestle fragment; 7 
pigment fragments; 1 obsidian point fragment; 6 post fragments; 1 piece 
of quartz; 1 vial of sand from the site; 1 pair of scissors; 8 
scrapers; 1 sweat scraper; 1 container of a soil sample; 1 metal spoon; 
1 wooden spoon; 2 stones; 2 beaver teeth; 1 seal tooth; 2 crushed water 
bottles; and 2 water bottle fragments.
    Historically, a Yokuts village extended along the north shore, on a 
sand spit, at the outlet of Buena Vista Lake. The Elk Hills Cemetery is 
located approximately 1,000 feet due north of this sand spit and Yokut 
village. The funerary objects removed from site P-15-000116 (CA-KER-
116) illustrate that this burial site was in use during the Historic 
Period, approximately between the years A.D. 1780 and 1818.
    The burial contexts identify the human remains removed from sites 
in Kern County, CA, as being Native American. Linguistic evidence 
indicates that this region of California was inhabited by Native 
American Yokut speakers. Consultation with a tribal representative of 
the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, 
California, confirmed that these burial sites were within an area, 
documented by Yokuts oral history, of continued habitation that include 
the Protohistoric and Historic Periods. Historical sources corroborate 
this oral history. Modern descendants of Yokut speakers are members of 
the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa 
Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table 
Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule 
River Reservation of California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of 
the Tuolumne Rancheria of California.
    Officials of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry 
National Center have determined that pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), 
the 5,508 cultural items 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 and are believed, 
by a preponderance of the evidence, to have been removed from a 
specific burial site of a Native American individual. Officials of the 
Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center also 
have determined that pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), there is a 
relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced 
between the unassociated funerary objects and the Picayune Rancheria of 
the Chukchansi Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of 
the Santa Rosa Rancheria, California; Table Mountain Rancheria of 
California; Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation of 
California; and Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne 
Rancheria of California.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Steven M. Karr Ph.D., Ahmanson Curator of History and Culture 
and Interim Executive Director, 234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles, CA 
90065, telephone (323) 221-2164, extension 241, or LaLena Lewark, 
Senior NAGPRA Coordinator, Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage 
Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027, telephone (323) 667-2000, extension 220, 
before April 6, 2009. Repatriation of the unassociated funerary objects 
to the Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, 
California may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    The Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Autry National Center 
is responsible for notifying the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi 
Indians of California; Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa 
Rancheria, California; Table Mountain Rancheria of California; Tule 
River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation of California; and 
Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria of California 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: February 13, 2009.
Sangita Chari,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-4673 Filed 3-4-09; 8:45 am]

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