[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2084-2085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-522]


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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 the following counties: Anoka, Cass, Lincoln, 
Pope and Sherburne in the State of Minnesota.
    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 Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe 
of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin; Bois Forte 
Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Flandreau 
Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota; Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe, Minnesota; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan; Lac Courte 
Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux 
Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Leech Lake 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Lower Sioux Indian 
Community in the State of Minnesota; Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Prairie 
Island Indian Community in the State of Minnesota; Red Cliff Band of 
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Santee Sioux Nation, 
Nebraska; Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, 
South Dakota; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin; Spirit Lake 
Tribe, North Dakota; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Upper 
Sioux Community, Minnesota; White Earth Band of Minnesota Chippewa 
Tribe, Minnesota (hereinafter referred to as ``The Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from site 21-AN-1, Howard Lake, Anoka County, 
MN, by unknown person(s) and attached to a display board that was in 
the possession of a collector in Duluth, MN. In 2006, the human remains 
were transferred to the MIAC (H421). No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Site 21-AN-1, consisting of three large mounds, has been identified 
as Middle Woodland Tradition. In 1950, L.A. Wilford of the University 
of Minnesota excavated human remains representing 32 individuals from 
site 21-AN-1 (UM309). The human remains recovered in 1950 were 
published in the Federal Register (65 FR, 53214, August 9, 1999) and 
have been repatriated and reburied. The human remains from 21-AN-1 are 
associated with the Middle Woodland Tradition, a broad archeological 
classification which cannot be associated with any present-day Indian 
tribe.
    In 1997, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were recovered from private land in Ramsey City, Anoka County, MN, by 
the Ramsey City Police Department and transferred to the Anoka County 
Coroner's Office (97-80193) for identification. In 2000, the human 
remains were transferred to

[[Page 2085]]

the Minnesota Office of the State Archeologist and then transferred to 
the MIAC (H376). No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    The condition of the remains and the degree of dental attrition 
suggest these human remains are ancient/pre-contact in time. Cranial 
morphology identifies this individual as American Indian. The human 
remains have no archeological classification and cannot be associated 
with any present-day Indian tribe.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, eight 
individuals were removed from an undesignated site on the south end of 
Gull Lake, Cass County, MN, by unknown person(s) and transferred to D. 
Birk of the Minnesota Historical Society. In 1998, the human remains 
were transferred to the Minnesota Office of the State Archeologist and 
in 1999, to the MIAC (H372). No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    The condition of the remains identifies these human remains as pre-
contact American Indian. The human remains have no archeological 
classification and cannot be associated with any present-day Indian 
tribe.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing one individual were 
removed from mounds on the north end of Lake Benton City, Lincoln 
County, MN, by unknown person(s). In 2002, Mr. David Norden donated the 
human remains to the Lake Benton Area Historical Society. In 2004, the 
human remains were transferred to the MIAC (H409). No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The human remains are associated with the Woodland Tradition, an 
archeological classification which cannot be associated with any 
present-day Indian tribe.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from an undesignated site in Pope County, MN, 
and donated to the Pope County Historical Society (Acc. 66.391 and 
66.394). In 1997, the human remains were transferred to Dave Nystuen, 
Minnesota Historical Society who transferred the remains to the 
Minnesota Office of the State Archeologist. In 1999, the human remains 
were transferred to the MIAC (H370). No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Archeological material transferred with the human remains including 
Onamia style ceramic sherds suggest the remains may be associated with 
the Woodland Tradition, a broad archeological classification which 
cannot be associated with any present-day Indian tribe.
    In the late 1940s, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were recovered when a mound was leveled during construction 
of a parking lot at the site of the Elk Lake Tavern in (Little) Elk 
Lake, Sherburne County, MN, and donated to the University of Minnesota. 
In 1999, the human remains were transferred to the MIAC (H355). No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    The context of these human remains in a mound and femora morphology 
identify these human remains as pre-contact American Indian. The human 
remains are associated with the Woodland Tradition, a broad 
archeological classification which cannot be associated with any 
present-day Indian tribe.

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 aboriginal land of The Tribes.
    <bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 15 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
    <bullet> Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains is to The Tribes.

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 Tribes may proceed after that date if no 
additional requestors come forward.
    The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council is responsible for notifying 
The Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: January 9, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-522 Filed 1-12-12; 8:45 am]
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