45440 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 166 / Wednesday, August 27, 1997 / Notices

descendents may begin after that date if

no additional claimants come forward.

Dated: August 14, 1997.

Francis P. McManamon,

Departmental Consulting Archeologist,

Manager, Archeology and Ethnography

Program.

[FR Doc. 97–22739 Filed 8-26-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–F

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural

Items in the Possession of the Field

Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is hereby given under the

Native American Graves Protection and

Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3005 (a)(2),

of the intent to repatriate cultural items

in the possession of the Field Museum

of Natural History which meet the

definition of ‘‘sacred object’’ under

Section 2 of the Act.

The cultural items consist of a stone

mortar with a concave indentation on

one side, a small basketry ‘‘hopper’’

with a geometric design covered with

pitch which fits on top of the stone

mortar, and a smooth stone pestle. The

basketry is a coiled weave with white

sewing of sumac, mottled sewing of

bullrush, and black sewing of an

unknown fiber. These items are

collectively catalogued as a basketry

medicine mortar (Accession 1490;

Catalogue number 103496).

In 1923, these items were acquired by

the Field Museum from Homer E.

Sargent. In 1913, Mr. Sargent purchased

these items from Ernest Juan who

collected them at ‘‘San Manuel and

Banning.’’ The items are affiliated with

the Serrano.

The form of these objects, their

source, and the documentation

concerning its acquisition lead the

Museum to believe that they comprise a

Serrano medicine mortar.

Representatives of the San Manuel

Mission Band of Indians (Serrano) have

verified this identification and have

stated that these objects are needed by

traditional Native American religious

leaders for the practice of traditional

Native American religions by their

present-day adherents.

Based on the above-mentioned

information, officials of the Field

Museum have determined that,

pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(C), these

three cultural items are specific

ceremonial objects needed by traditional

Native American religious leaders for

the practice of traditional Native

American religions by their present-day

adherents. Officials of the Field

Museum have also determined that,

pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is

a relationship of shared group identity

which can be reasonably traced between

these items and the San Manuel Band of

Mission Indians. Although officials of

the Field Museum recognize the

significant importance of these cultural

items to the San Manuel Band of

Mission Indians, the Field Museum

asserts that it has right of possession of

these cultural items. However, the Field

Museum is willing to return the mortar

under a compromise repatriation claim.

This notice has been sent to officials

of the San Manuel Band of Mission

Indians. Representatives of any other

Indian tribe that believes itself to be

culturally affiliated with these objects

should contact Jonathan Haas,

MacArthur Curator of North American

Anthropology, Field Museum of Natural

History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore

Dr., Chicago, IL 60605; telephone: (312)

922–9410, ext. 641, before September

26, 1997. Repatriation of these objects to

the San Manuel Band of Mission

Indians may begin after that date if no

additional claimants come forward.

The National Park Service is not

responsible for the determinations

within this notice.

Dated: August 14, 1997.

Francis P. McManamon,

Departmental Consulting Archeologist,

Manager, Archeology and Ethnography

Program.

[FR Doc. 97–22735 Filed 8-26-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–F

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Review of Existing Coordinated LongRange Operating Criteria for Colorado

River Reservoirs (Operating Criteria)

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed decision

regarding the Operating Criteria.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this action is

to provide public notice that the

Secretary of the Interior proposes no

change to the existing Operating Criteria

as a result of the current review process.

The current review has been conducted

as an open public process, including

formal consultation with the seven

Colorado River Basin States (Basin

States). The results of the review

indicate that modification of the

Operating Criteria is not justified at the

present time.

DATES: All written comments relevant to

this proposed decision received on or

before September 10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should

send comments or questions to Bruce

Moore, Bureau of Reclamation, 125

South State Street, Room 6107, Salt

Lake City, Utah 84138–1102, telephone

(801) 524–3702, or Jayne Harkins,

Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 61470,

Boulder City, Nevada 89005, telephone

(702) 293–8190.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

public review process began with a

Federal Register notice published on

August 20, 1996, announcing the review

of the Operating Criteria and inviting

comments during the 60 days following

the notice. On October 31, 1996, another

Federal Register notice was published

announcing two public consultation

meetings and extending the comment

period an additional 30 days. On

November 4, 1996, a Fact Sheet

containing information about the

Operating Criteria review and an

invitation to the public consultation

meetings was sent to known and

anticipated interested parties and

agencies, and governor-designated

representatives of the Basin States,

inviting their participation. Public

consultation meetings were held on

November 18, 1996, and December 2,

1996, to receive comments on issues

and questions from all interested

parties.

Comments from the two Federal

Register notices were received from 18

respondents. The comments were

reviewed by the Bureau of Reclamation

for identification and analysis of the

issues. A set of all comment letters

received was provided to any interested

party requesting a copy. A synopsis of

the issues raised during the public

review process was sent to all interested

parties and participants in a March 1997

newsletter entitled the River Review.

In response to requests, another

public consultation meeting and an

additional 45-day comment period were

announced in the Federal Register on

March 28, 1997. On April 4, 1997, a

letter from the Team Leader containing

the preliminary results of Reclamation’s

analysis on each major issue area and an

invitation to attend a public

consultation meeting on the preliminary

results and analysis was sent to all 18

respondents, Governor-designated

representatives of the Basin States, and

any others who had attended meetings

or expressed an interest in the review of

the Operating Criteria. On April 22,

1997, a final public consultation