[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11567-11568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4523]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: American Museum of 
Natural History, New York, NY

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The American Museum of Natural History, in consultation with 
the appropriate Indian tribes, has determined that cultural items meet 
the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that repatriation 
to the Indian tribe stated below may occur if no additional claimants 
come forward. Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself 
to be culturally affiliated with the cultural items may contact the 
American Museum of Natural History.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes it has a 
cultural affiliation with the cultural items should contact the 
American Museum of Natural History at the address below by March 28, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Nell Murphy, Director of Cultural Resources, American Museum 
of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 
10024, telephone (212) 769-5837.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 American Museum of Natural History 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 Native 
American cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    The 34 cultural items include: a headdress on a spruce frame 
decorated with swan down, white eagle tail feathers, and a plume of 
red-fox tail, that is attached to a wooden mask painted black and 
green, representing a Tlingit spirit; a headdress on a spruce frame, 
covered with swan down, white eagle tail feathers, and a plume of brown 
bear fur, that is attached to a wooden mask painted black and green, 
representing the spirit of a dead Tlingit; a headdress on a spruce 
frame covered with swan down, white eagle tail feathers, and plaits of 
human hair, that is attached to a wooden mask representing a dying man; 
a headdress on a spruce frame, covered with swan down, white eagle tail 
feathers, red fox fur, and plaits of human hair, that is attached to a 
wooden mask representing the spirit of a dead Tlingit; a headdress made 
of hawk skin and attached to a wooden mask carved to represent a 
mosquito; a headdress made of deer skin, ptarmigan skin, and ornamented 
in porcupine quill work and mountain goat horns; a hat made of skin 
with a bark cover and a carved raven's head; a headdress of deer skin 
ornamented with eagle tails and sea lion whiskers; a skin drum framed 
in wood and metal; a crown composed of mountain goat horns and ermine 
skins, that is inlaid with haliotis shell; a wooden rattle carved in 
bird and land otter designs and painted green, red, and black; two 
wooden rattles ornamented with bird beaks and decorated with eagle 
down; a wooden dance ornament carved to represent a cockle shell; two 
bundles of sticks, bone spikes and feathers wrapped around an animal 
tongue; a bone bracelet ornamented in cuts and lines with a plant fiber 
fastener; a neck ornament composed of hide and two walrus ivory rings; 
four ivory charms carved to represent land otters; an ivory charm 
carved to represent a whale; an ivory charm carved to represent a black 
fish; an ivory charm carved to represent a halibut; a wooden stick 
carved to represent a wolf and a bear; a skin waist robe decorated with 
ivory, bone, deer hooves and brass ornaments; a skin shoulder robe 
decorated with walrus ivory rings and painted to represent spirits and 
a dog fish; two string necklaces decorated with bone and ivory 
pendants; a hair ornament of ivory and bone beads; a stick decorated 
with deer dew hooves; a headdress consisting of a skin band decorated 
with swan skin, the neck feathers of a mallard drake, and white eagle 
tail feathers, attached to carved wooden masks representing the 
shaman's spirits or guards; and a wooden box decorated with carvings of 
a bear and a raven.
    Museum records and consultation information provided by 
Kootznoowoo, Incorporated (an Alaska Native

[[Page 11568]]

Corporation), and the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes 
of Alaska support the conclusion that these cultural items comprise the 
shaman's kit of Nolk, a Hutsnuwu Tlingit of the Dakl'aweidi clan, and 
that they were placed within Nolk's grave house near Chaik Bay at or 
after the time of his death around 1865. The kit was removed from the 
grave house by a nephew of Nolk at an unknown date and subsequently 
acquired by Lieutenant George Thornton Emmons. The Museum purchased 
these items from Emmons and accessioned them in 1894.
    The determination that these items are ``unassociated funerary 
objects'' is based on Emmons' catalog entry, consultation information 
provided by Kootznoowoo, Incorporated, and the Central Council Tlingit 
and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and other expert opinion, all of 
which support the conclusion that the items were associated with Nolk's 
grave house, and were placed with Nolk's remains either at the time of 
his death or later.
    The cultural affiliation of the 34 cultural items is Hutsnuwu 
Tlingit, as indicated through museum records and consultation with 
representatives of Kootznoowoo Incorporated, and the Central Council 
Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Chaik Bay lies within the 
traditional territory of the Hutsnuwu Tlingit. These cultural items 
were claimed on behalf of the Da--l'aweidi clan.

Determinations Made by the American Museum of Natural History

    Officials of the American Museum of Natural History have determined 
that:
    <bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), the 34 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.
    <bullet> 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 Central Council Tlingit and Haida 
Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Nell Murphy, Director of Cultural Resources, American Museum of 
Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, 
telephone (212) 769-5837, before March 28, 2012. Repatriation of the 
unassociated funerary objects to the Central Council Tlingit and Haida 
Indian Tribes of Alaska may proceed after that date if no additional 
claimants come forward.

    Dated: February 22, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-4523 Filed 2-24-12; 8:45 am]
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