[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2079-2080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-512]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, 
Bemidji, MN

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council has completed an 
inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian 
tribes, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation 
between the remains and any present-day Indian tribe. Representatives 
of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated 
with the human remains may contact the Minnesota Indian Affairs 
Council. Disposition of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated 
below may occur if no additional requestors come forward.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes it has a 
cultural affiliation with the human remains should contact the 
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council at the address below by February 13, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: James L. (Jim) Jones, Cultural Resource Director, Minnesota 
Indian Affairs Council, 3801 Bemidji Avenue NW., Suite 5, Bemidji, MN 
56601, telephone (218) 755-3223.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 in the 
possession of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC). The human 
remains were removed from Clearwater County, MN.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). 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. The National Park Service 
is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the 
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council professional staff in consultation 
with representatives of the Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe, Minnesota; the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; the Red Lake 
Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota; the Turtle

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Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota; and the White Earth 
Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota.

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date, human remains representing three individuals 
were recovered from site 21-CE-4, Upper Rice Lake during archeological 
excavation by the University of Minnesota (UM641). In 1989, the human 
remains were transferred to the MIAC. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The condition of the human remains and the dental morphology 
identify these human remains as American Indian from the pre-contact 
period. Site 2-CE-4 is identified with the Late Woodland Tradition 
based on cultural materials, including ceramics. The human remains from 
the site are associated with the Late Woodland Tradition, a broad 
archeological classification which cannot be associated with any 
present-day Indian tribe. The geographical location of site 21-CE-4 is 
on the tribal land of the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
Minnesota.

Determinations Made by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

    Officials of the MIAC have determined that:
    <bullet> Based on non-destructive physical analysis and catalogue 
records, the human remains are Native American.
    <bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and any present-day Indian tribe.
    <bullet> According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission, the land from which the Native American human remains were 
removed is the tribal land of the White Earth Band of Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota.
    <bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of three individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
    <bullet> Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains is to the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
Minnesota

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains or any other Indian tribe 
that believes it satisfies the criteria in 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1) should 
contact James L. (Jim) Jones, Cultural Resource Director, Minnesota 
Indian Affairs Council, 3801 Bemidji Avenue NW., Suite 5, Bemidji, MN 
56601, telephone (218) 755-3223, before February 13, 2012. Disposition 
of the human remains to the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe, Minnesota may proceed after that date if no additional 
requestors come forward.
    The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council is responsible for notifying 
the Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; the 
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; the Red Lake Band of Chippewa 
Indians, Minnesota; the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of 
North Dakota; and the White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, 
Minnesota that this notice has been published.

    Dated: January 9, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-512 Filed 1-12-12; 8:45 am]
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