44714 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 163 / Friday, August 22, 1997 / Notices

long-term management of G. Caespitosa.

(2) Inventory potential habitat for

additional occurrences of the species.

(3) Identify and establish management

guidelines which will ensure overall

long term survivability of the species.

Public Comments Solicited

The Fish and Wildlife Service will

use information received during the

public comment period in its

determination as to whether it should be

a signatory party to the agreements.

Comments or suggestions from the

public, other concerned governmental

agencies, the scientific community,

industry, or any other interested party

concerning the draft documents are

hereby solicited. All comments and

materials received will be considered

prior to the approval of any final

document.

Author: The primary author of this

notice is John L. England (see

ADDRESSES section) (telephone 801/524-

5001).

Authority: The authority for this action is

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)

Dated: August 15, 1997.

Elliott N. Sutta,

Acting Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR. 97–22312 Filed 8–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Receipt of Petition for Federal

Acknowledgment of Existence as an

Indian Tribe

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

This is published in the exercise of

authority delegated by the Secretary of

the Interior to the Assistant Secretary—

Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.9(a) notice is

hereby given that the Chilkoot

Kaagwaantaan Clan, P.O. Box 275,

Haines, Alaska 99827 has filed a

petition for acknowledgment by the

Secretary of the Interior that the group

exists as an Indian tribe. The petition

was received by the Bureau of Indian

Affairs (BIA) on April 22, 1997, and was

signed by members of the group’s

governing body.

This is a notice of receipt of petition

and does not constitute notice that the

petition is under active consideration.

Notice of active consideration will be

sent by mail to the petitioner and

interested parties at the appropriate

time.

Under Section 83.9(a) of the Federal

regulations, parties may submit factual

and/or legal arguments in support of or

in opposition to the group’s petition.

Any information submitted will be

made available on the same basis as

other information in the BIA’s files.

Third parties are required to submit

copies of their comments directly to the

petitioner. The petitioner will be

provided an opportunity to respond to

such submissions prior to a final

determination regarding the petitioner’s

status.

The petition may be examined, by

appointment, in the Department of the

Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Branch of Acknowledgment and

Research, Room 3427–MIB, 1849 C

Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240,

Phone: (202) 208–3592.

Dated: July 31, 1997.

Hilda Manuel,

Deputy Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 97–22297 Filed 8–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Proposed Finding Against Federal

Acknowledgment of the Chinook

Indian Tribe

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed finding.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.9(f),

notice is hereby given that the Assistant

Secretary—Indian Affairs (Assistant

Secretary) proposes to decline to

acknowledge that the Chinook Indian

Tribe, Inc., P.O. Box 228, Chinook, WA

98614, exists as an Indian tribe within

the meaning of Federal law. This notice

is based on a determination that the

group does not satisfy three of the seven

criteria set forth in 25 CFR 83.7, and

therefore does not meet the

requirements for a government-togovernment relationship with the

United States.

DATES: As provided by 25 CFR 83.9(g),

any individual or organization wishing

to comment on this proposed finding

may submit arguments and evidence to

support or rebut the evidence relied

upon. This material must be submitted

on or before December 22, 1997.

Interested parties who submit

arguments and evidence to the Assistant

Secretary should provide copies of their

submissions to the petitioner as well.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed

finding and/or requests for a copy of the

report of evidence should be addressed

to the Office of the Assistant Secretary,

Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street

NW, Washington, DC, 20240, Attention:

Branch of Acknowledgment and

Research, Mailstop 4603–MIB.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Holly Reckord, Chief, Branch of

Acknowledgment and Research, (202)

208–3592.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice is published in the exercise of

authority delegated by the Secretary of

the Interior to the Assistant Secretary by

209 DM 8. The Chinook Indian Tribe’s

petition was under active consideration

at the time that the revised regulations

became effective on March 28, 1994.

The petitioner was given the choice

under 25 CFR 83.5(f) of the revised

regulations of being evaluated under the

1994 revised regulations or the

regulations that were published on

September 5, 1978. The Chinook Indian

Tribe, by letter dated April 21, 1994,

requested that the BIA continue to

evaluate its petition under the 1978

regulations. Therefore, all references to

25 CFR part 83 in this notice will refer

to the 1978 regulations.

The Chinook Indian Tribe petitioner

consists primarily of descendants of the

historical Lower Band of Chinook

Indians. While most of the petitioner’s

members can trace their ancestry back to

the Lower Band of Chinook, the

petitioner has not existed as a tribal

entity continuously since the time of

first sustained contact in 1811 between

the historical Lower Band of Chinook

and non-Indians. The petitioner’s

ancestors were identified as an Indian

entity by external sources from 1792 to

at least 1855. The available evidence

indicates that the petitioner, as a whole,

has not formed a distinct social or

geographical community since 1880.

The evidence also demonstrates that the

petitioner has not exercised political

authority over its members since 1855.

Of the seven mandatory criteria for

Federal acknowledgment as an Indian

tribe, the petitioner has met criteria (d),

(e), (f), and (g), but has failed to meet

criteria (a), (b), and (c).

At the time of first sustained contact

with non-Indians, the historical Lower

Band of Chinook was described as living

in villages along the north shore of the

Columbia River where it empties into

the Pacific Ocean. There were also

Lower Chinook villages along the

tributaries that fed into the Columbia

River and into Shoalwater Bay. Three

other bands of Chinookan-speaking

Indians lived in proximity to the Lower

Band of Chinook: the Wahkiakum, the

Kathlamet, and the Clatsop. Federal

negotiators signed treaties with each of