[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 160 (Thursday, August 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42100-42102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20039]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Defense, Army 
Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, Walla Walla, WA and Museum of 
Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

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. 3003, of the 
completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects in the control of the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of 
Engineers, Walla Walla District, Walla Walla, WA, and in the physical 
custody of the Museum of Anthropology, Washington State University, 
Pullman, WA. The human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed from the Marmes Rockshelter (45FR50) in Franklin 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.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the U.S. 
Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 
Indian Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama 
Nation, Washington; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum Band, a 
non-Federally recognized Indian group.
    In 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1968, human remains representing a minimum 
of 45 individuals were removed from the Marmes Rockshelter (45FR50) in 
Franklin County, WA. The Marmes Rockshelter was excavated between 1962 
and 1964 by Washington State University under contract with the 
National Park Service. In 1968, Washington State University conducted 
additional excavations under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers. Some human remains were encased in plaster casts during the 
excavations and transported to the laboratory at Washington State 
University. Excavations of the plaster casts were conducted at the 
laboratory until 1974. Material from all excavations is curated at 
Washington State University. During the excavations and subsequent 
analyses of the human remains from the Marmes Rockshelter site, human 
remains were given burial numbers or other designations including 
Burials 1 to 12, Burials 14 to 22, Small Unnumbered Cast, Rice Burial 
05, MCX 1, Feature 64-6, and non-cremation rockshelter remains. No 
known individuals were identified. The 2,047 associated funerary 
objects (i.e., 2,020 counted items and 27 lots of items) are 2 antler 
pieces; 8 bird bones; 49 fish bones; 752 mammal bones; 1 lot other 
bones; 13 other bones; 9 other modified bone/antler; 1 antler pendant; 
1 basalt biface; 1 chert biface; 1 chert/cryptocrystalline biface; 1 
obsidian biface; 1 basalt lanceolate point; 8 pieces of blocky basalt 
shatter; 10 pieces of blocky chert shatter; 31 pieces of blocky chert/
cryptocrystalline shatter; 4 pieces of blocky obsidian shatter; 2 
pieces of other stone blocky shatter; 1 basalt cobble core; 4 basalt 
cobble cores with no cutting edge; 1 other stone cobble core with 
cutting edge; 3 cobble spalls; 2 basalt cobble spalls with retouch; 1 
basalt core; 1 chert core; 2 chert/cryptocrystalline cores; 1 chert 
endscraper; 3 chert/cryptocrystalline endscrapers; 43 pieces basalt 
flake debitage; 4 pieces of chert flake debitage; 45 pieces of chert/
cryptocrystalline flake debitage; 12 pieces of obsidian flake debitage; 
19 pieces of basalt flake shatter; 13 pieces of chert flake shatter; 42 
pieces of chert or other cryptocrystalline flake shatter; 78 pieces of 
chert/cryptocrystalline shatter; 30 pieces of obsidian flake shatter; 1 
piece quartzite flake shatter; 2

[[Page 42101]]

chert/cryptocrystalline flakes with bimarginal retouch; 2 chert flakes 
with retouch; 1 basalt flake with unimarginal retouch; 8 chert/
cryptocrystalline flakes with unimarginal retouch; 3 obsidian flakes 
with unimarginal retouch; 1 chert/cryptocrystalline hafted drill; 7 
basalt other bifaces; 2 chert/cryptocrystalline other bifaces; 5 basalt 
point tip or midsections; 10 basalt points; 2 chert points; 10 chert/
cryptocrystalline points; 1 obsidian point; 1 chert point tip or 
midsection; 1 chert/cryptocrystalline point tip or midsection; 1 chert/
cryptocrystalline lanceolate point; 1 abrader; 1 basalt groundstone 
mortar; 1 atlatl ground stone; 1 basalt other groundstone; 1 atlatl 
weight; 1 graphite bead; 1 stone ornament; 2 pieces of metal; 1 nail; 1 
lot metal; 1 piece wood of possible arrow shaft; 125 faunal bone 
fragments; 7 faunal teeth; 1 lot mammal bone; 1 beaver tooth; 2 bear 
teeth; 4 rocks; 2 choke cherry pits; 1 mat; 32 other organic pieces 
(including plant); 4 pieces of wood; 23 organic seeds; 1 organic kidney 
stone?; 1 lot red ochre; 1 lot C14 or charcoal samples; 1 lot charcoal 
samples; 18 charcoal samples; 1 lot fine screen other samples; 70 
pieces of ochre other stone samples; 1 lot of ochre other stone 
samples; 106 basalt samples; 1 lot other basalt samples; 19 basalt 
other (including rocks) samples; 1 lot other chert/cryptocrystalline 
samples; 1 lot other miscellaneous stone samples; 1 lot other other 
samples; 1 lot other other stone samples; 1 lot other other (including 
rocks) samples; 1 lot other other sample samples; 1 lot other sample 
other stone samples; 63 other other stone samples; 8 other other 
samples; 1 basalt anvil stone; 1 lot other dust with red ochre, bone, 
shell fragments; 1 basalt edged cobble; 1 lot soil samples; 81 shell 
beads; 1 lot shell beads; 17 Olivella shell beads; 1 lot snail shell 
remains; 154 pieces of shell remains; 1 lot Margaretifera shell 
remains; 1 lot Gonidea sp. shell remains; 1 lot Pelecypoda shell 
remains; 9 pieces of snail shell remains; 1 lot Unionacea shell 
remains; 1 lot shell remains; 1 lot other organic other (including 
plant); 1 lot other organic other (including plant), seeds; and 3 white 
stones.
    The human remains in Burials 1 through 12, 14 through 22, the small 
Unnumbered Cast, MCX 1, Rice 05, 64-6, and the non-cremation 
rockshelter remains were determined to be Native American due to 
physical traits and the cultural items found with the human remains, 
which are similar to the materials found in archeological collections 
and in context with Native American burials in southeastern Washington.
    Archeological evidence found in the Marmes Rockshelter (and in six 
nearby archeological sites) supports a nearly continuous occupation 
from the Cascade Phase (8000-4500 BP) to the Harder Phase (2500-500 
BP), and provides the most direct physical line of evidence supporting 
affiliation between an earlier group and a present-day Indian tribe. 
Geographical and anthropological lines of evidence support the 
archeological evidence of earlier group habitation in the same 
geographic location as the historic groups. Oral tradition evidence 
provided by tribal elders indicates a large Palus village, inhabited by 
tribal ancestors from time immemorial, was once located near the Marmes 
Rockshelter. Further, according to tribal elders, these ancestors were 
mobile, and traveled the landscape to gather resources as well as trade 
among each other.
    Ethnographic documentation indicates that the present-day location 
of the Marmes Rockshelter in Franklin County, WA, is within the 
territory occupied historically by the Palus (Palouse) Indians. During 
the historic period, the Palouse people settled along the Snake River, 
relied on fish, game and root resources for subsistence, shared their 
resource areas and maintained extensive kinship connections with other 
groups in the area, and had limited political integration until the 
adoption of the horse (Walker 1998). These characteristics are common 
to the greater Plateau cultural communities surrounding the Palouse 
territory including the Nez Perce, Cayuse, Walla Walla, Yakama, and 
Wanapum groups. Moreover, the information provided during consultation 
by representatives of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian 
Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama 
Nation, Washington; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum Band, a 
non-Federally recognized Indian group, substantiates their cultural 
affiliation with each other and with the earlier group represented at 
the Marmes Rockshelter. The descendants of these Plateau communities of 
southeastern Washington, now widely dispersed, are members of the 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington; 
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon; 
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; Nez 
Perce Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum Band, a non-Federally recognized 
Indian group.
    Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of 
Engineers, Walla Walla District have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent the 
physical remains of 45 individuals of Native American ancestry. 
Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, 
Walla Walla District also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 
3001 (3)(A), the 2,047 objects (2,020 individual counted items and 27 
lots of 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. Furthermore, officials of 
the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla 
District 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 Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Washington; 
and Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho. Lastly, officials of the U.S. Department of 
Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District have determined 
that there is a cultural relationship between the Native American human 
remains and associated funerary objects and the Wanapum Band, a non-
Federally recognized Indian group.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and/or associated 
funerary objects should contact Lieutenant Colonel Michael Farrell, 
U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla 
District, 201 North Third Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876, telephone 
(509) 527-7700, before September 21, 2009. Repatriation of the human 
remains and associated funerary objects to the Confederated Tribes of 
the Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the 
Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of 
the Yakama Nation, Washington; and Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho may proceed 
after that date if no additional claimants come forward. The U.S. 
Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District 
acknowledges the participation of the Wanapum Band, a non-Federally 
recognized Indian group, in the transfer

[[Page 42102]]

of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Federally-
recognized Indian tribes.
    The U.S. Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, Walla 
Walla District is responsible for notifying the Confederated Tribes of 
the Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the 
Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of 
the Yakama Nation, Washington; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum 
Band, a non-Federally recognized Indian group, that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: July 29, 2009.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-20039 Filed 8-19-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S