[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 47270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-22212]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: Department of 
Natural Resources, Des Moines, IA and Office of the State 
Archaeologist, Iowa City, IA

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 control of the Department of 
Natural Resources, Des Moines, IA, and in the physical custody of the 
Office of the State Archaeologist, Iowa City, IA, 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.
    On an unknown date, an unknown individual recovered cultural items 
from along the Columbia River in the state of Washington. On an unknown 
date, an unknown individual gave these artifacts to Paul Sagers, 
Maquoketa, IA. In 1988, the Sagers Collection was donated to the Iowa 
Department of Natural Resources. In late 2008, the Sagers Collection 
was transferred to the Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist for 
curation. The 178 cultural items are 14 small projectile points, 2 
rolled metal beads, 2 flat shell beads, and approximately 160 small 
glass beads.
    A small glass covered case displaying artifacts from the state of 
Washington was found in the Sagers Collection. In the case, there was a 
small hand-written note that stated the following ``from Columbia River 
Village Site Wash. Roy Pitkin.'' ``F BAR'' was written on the backside 
of the note. The minimal information included with these cultural items 
suggested they had been recovered from a village site in Washington 
State. Contacts with officials in Washington determined there are sites 
along the Columbia River known as Fountain Bar or Franklin Bar, and the 
cultural items may have come from one of those sites. No information on 
Roy Pitkin could be found.
    Consultation and information sharing occurred with the Confederated 
Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of 
the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the 
Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of 
the Yakama Nation, Washington; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum 
Band, a non-Federally recognized Indian group. Based on the type and 
style of artifacts, the tribes believe the items may have come from a 
burial context. They consider the objects as typical of the type of 
funerary objects recovered from burials located along the Columbia 
River. The tribes have been involved in several joint repatriations 
that have included similar objects. Although museum records do not 
state that the objects were removed from a burial context, based on 
consultation, museum records on geographical location, and the 
similarity of the objects to other funerary objects, the officials of 
the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa Office of the State 
Archaeologist reasonably believe that the 178 cultural items are 
unassociated funerary objects.
    Officials of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa 
Office of the State Archaeologist have determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the 178 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 Iowa Department of Natural Resources and 
the Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist 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 Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian 
Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama 
Nation, Washington; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho; 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 unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Shirley Schermer, Director, Burials Program, Office of the 
State Archaeologist, 700 Clinton St. Building, University of Iowa, Iowa 
City, IA 52242, telephone (319) 384-0740, before October 15, 2009. 
Repatriation of the unassociated funerary objects to the Confederated 
Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of 
the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the 
Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; Confederated Tribes and Bands of 
the Yakama Nation, Washington; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho; and the Wanapum 
Band, a non-Federally recognized Indian group may proceed after that 
date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Office of the 
State Archaeologist are responsible for notifying the Confederated 
Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington; Confederated Tribes of 
the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon; Confederated Tribes of the 
Warm Springs Reservation of 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 20, 2009
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E9-22212 Filed 9-14-09; 8:45 am]
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