Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 13627 

ADDRESSES: Gary Rollefson, Maxey 

Museum, Whitman College, 345 Boyer 

Avenue, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 

telephone (509) 527–4938. 

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 and associated 

funerary objects in the possession of 

Maxey Museum. The human remains 

and associated funerary objects were 

removed from the general vicinity of the 

Snake River and Columbia River in the 

Columbia River Plateau, in the counties 

of Walla Walla, Benton, Franklin, and 

Columbia, WA, and Umatilla, OR. 

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 human remains and 

associated funerary objects. The 

National Park Service is not responsible 

for the determinations in this notice. 

Consultation 

A detailed assessment of the human 

remains was made by Maxey Museum 

professional staff in consultation with 

representatives of the Confederated 

Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, 

Washington; Confederated Tribes of the 

Colville Reservation, Washington; 

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 

Reservation, Oregon; Confederated 

Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation 

of Oregon; Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho 

(previously listed as Nez Perce Tribe of 

Idaho) (hereafter referred to as ‘‘The 

Tribes’’); and the Wanapum Band, a 

non-Federally recognized Indian group 

(hereafter referred to as ‘‘The Indian 

Group’’). 

History and Description of the Remains 

In the early to middle 20th century, 

human remains representing, at 

minimum, six individuals were 

removed from an unknown location 

near the confluence of the Columbia 

River and Snake River in the counties of 

Walla Walla, Benton, Franklin, and 

Columbia, WA, and Umatilla, OR. The 

four burials contained the remains of 

five adults and one child. No known 

individuals were identified. The 

accession also contains 26 associated 

funerary objects, consisting of: 3 

envelopes with writing; 1 lot of small 

pieces of leather belt or harness; 1 lot of 

charcoal pieces; 3 metal bells; 1 pipe 

stem; 1 piece of iron; 1 envelope with 

no writing; 1 chert flake; 1 lot of animal 

teeth; 1 partially burnt fragment of 

wood; 1 corroded (non-human) 

fragment, substance and use unknown; 

1 copper ring; 1 copper bell; 3 metal 

wheel gears; 1 lot of metal rings from a 

pipe stem; 1 lot of glass beads strung on 

cotton; 1 large animal tooth; and 3 

copper bracelets. 

In 1998, the human remains and 

associated funerary objects listed above 

were discovered in a large box in a 

storage closet in Memorial Hall, the 

main administrative building of 

Whitman College, and subsequently 

moved to Maxey Museum at Whitman 

College. Since the time of Maxey 

Museum’s acquisition, the human 

remains and associated funerary objects 

were not removed from the box or 

intermingled with other collections, nor 

were the objects displayed. Envelopes 

found in the box read: ‘‘Robert Grant, 

Field Representative, Whitman College, 

Walla Walla.’’ Many of the associated 

funerary objects are personal items, and 

others are objects typical to cremation 

burials. All of the objects are typical 

funerary objects found on the Columbia 

River Plateau. 

Although minimal provenance 

information exists for these objects, 

Whitman College was involved with 

many excavations along the Columbia 

River from Plymouth, WA, to Richland, 

WA, and along the Snake River in the 

first half of the 20th century, as well as 

receiving donated remains and funerary 

objects from inadvertent discoveries in 

the area. Through consultation with The 

Tribes and The Indian Group and an 

assessment of the objects as 

representative funerary objects 

commonly found in Columbia River 

Plateau burials, it is asserted that this 

collection of associated funerary objects 

belongs to the human remains in the 

box. 

Based on traditional lifeways, past 

and present, The Tribes and The Indian 

Group are direct descendant 

communities of the native people that 

jointly used the lower Snake and 

Columbia rivers. As aboriginal lifeways 

were being extinguished by EuroAmerican settlement of the Pacific 

Northwest, treaties were negotiated and 

signed with the native communities 

during the expansion of Washington 

and Oregon territories. The native 

peoples in these territories were 

removed from the shores of the 

Columbia and Snake rivers to the 

Colville, Umatilla, Warm Springs, 

Yakama and Nez Perce reservations. The 

Wanapum Band was removed from the 

rivers as well but was not put on a 

reservation of their own. Cultural 

affiliation is further reinforced by living, 

enrolled members of The Tribes and 

The Indian Group that have 

documented ancestors buried along the 

lower Snake and Columbia rivers. 

Determinations Made by Maxey 

Museum 

Officials of Maxey Museum have 

determined that: 

• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the 

human remains described in this notice 

represent the physical remains of six 

individuals of Native American 

ancestry. 

• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), 

the 26 associated funerary objects 

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. 

• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there 

is a relationship of shared group 

identity that can be reasonably traced 

between the Native American human 

remains and associated funerary objects 

to The Tribes and The Indian Group. 

Additional Requestors and Disposition 

Representatives of any Indian tribe 

that believes itself to be culturally 

affiliated with the human remains and 

associated funerary objects should 

contact Gary Rollefson, Maxey Museum, 

Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 

99362, telephone (509) 527–4938, before 

April 6, 2012. Repatriation of the human 

remains and associated funerary objects 

to The Tribes and The Indian Group 

may proceed after that date if no 

additional claimants come forward. 

Maxey Museum is responsible for 

notifying The Tribes and The Indian 

Group that this notice has been 

published. 

Dated: March 2, 2012. 

Sherry Hutt, 

Manager, National NAGPRA Program. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5577 Filed 3–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

[2253–665] 

Notice of Inventory Completion: 

History Colorado, Denver, CO 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: History Colorado (formerly 

the Colorado Historical Society) has 

completed an inventory of human 

remains and associated funerary objects, 

in consultation with the appropriate 

Indian tribes, and has determined that 

there is insufficient evidence to 

reasonably establish cultural affiliation 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
13628 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 

between the human remains and 

associated funerary objects and presentday Indian tribes. Representatives of any 

Indian tribe that believes itself to be 

culturally affiliated with the human 

remains and associated funerary objects 

may contact History Colorado. 

Disposition of the human remains and 

associated funerary objects to the Indian 

tribes stated below may occur if no 

additional claimants come forward. 

DATES: Representatives of any Indian 

tribe that believes it has a cultural 

affiliation with the human remains 

should contact History Colorado at the 

address below by April 6, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Sheila Goff, NAGPRA 

Liaison, History Colorado, 1200 

Broadway, Denver, CO 80203, telephone 

(303) 866–4531. 

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 and associated 

funerary objects under the control of 

History Colorado, Denver, CO. The 

human remains were recovered from 

various locations in Colorado, including 

Huerfano and Pueblo Counties. 

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 

In 2010 and 2011, a detailed 

assessment of the human remains was 

made by History Colorado professional 

staff with representatives of the 

Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind River 

Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne and 

Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma (formerly the 

Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of 

Oklahoma); Comanche Nation, 

Oklahoma; Crow Tribe of Montana; Fort 

Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Jicarilla 

Apache Nation, New Mexico; Northern 

Cheyenne Tribe of the Northern 

Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana; 

Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (formerly 

the Pueblo of San Juan); Pawnee Nation 

of Oklahoma; Pueblo of Cochiti, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New 

Mexico; Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the 

Rosebud Indian Reservation, South 

Dakota; Shoshone Tribe of the Wind 

River Reservation, Wyoming; Southern 

Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute 

Reservation, Colorado; Ute Indian Tribe 

of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, 

Utah; and the Ute Mountain Tribe of the 

Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado, 

New Mexico & Utah. The following 

tribes were invited to consult but did 

not participate: Kiowa Indian Tribe of 

Oklahoma; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the 

Pine Ridge Reservation; Pueblo of Santa 

Ana, New Mexico; Shoshone-Bannock 

Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of 

Idaho; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of 

North & South Dakota; Three Affiliated 

Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, 

North Dakota; Wichita and Affiliated 

Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco & 

Tawakonie), Oklahoma; and the Zuni 

Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 

Mexico. 

In 2000, the following tribes 

previously consulted on Office of 

Archaeology and Historic Preservation 

(OAHP) Case Number 98: Kiowa Indian 

Tribe of Oklahoma; Oglala Sioux Tribe 

of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South 

Dakota; and the Three Affiliated Tribes 

of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North 

Dakota. In addition, the following tribes 

consulted on OAHP Case Number 175 

in 2010: Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo 

Nation, Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah; 

Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo 

of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, 

New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; 

Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; 

Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; 

Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Ysleta 

Del Sur Pueblo, Texas; and the Zuni 

Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 

Mexico. 

History and Description of the Remains 

In July 1994, human remains 

representing, at minimum, one 

individual were removed from private 

property, site 5HR117, in Huerfano 

County, CO, by citizens who turned the 

remains over to the county coroner. The 

coroner notified the State Archaeologist, 

who authorized an on-site investigation 

and collected additional remains. All 

remains were subsequently transferred 

to History Colorado, where they are 

identified as OAHP Case Number 98. No 

known individuals were identified. The 

17 non-diagnostic associated funerary 

objects are 16 whole and partial disk 

shell beads and one deer scapula. 

The remains had been disturbed; 

therefore, the original burial context is 

unknown. A stone enclosure typical of 

Apishapa sites is located about 50m 

north of where the remains were 

recovered but it is not possible to 

establish a relationship between the 

structure and the remains. Osteological 

analysis determined that the individual 

is of Native American ancestry. 

In May 1997, human remains 

representing, at minimum, one 

individual were transferred to History 

Colorado by the Denver Medical 

Examiner’s Office. They are identified 

as OAHP Case Number 128. There is no 

information available as to where or 

how the remains were recovered. 

The medical examiner determined 

that the individual is of Native 

American ancestry. He observed that 

some molars had been intentionally 

removed and that there was minor 

deterioration of the bone, suggesting an 

estimated antiquity of 40 to 150 years. 

In 1955, human remains representing, 

at minimum, three individuals were 

removed from a cave in Pueblo County, 

CO, by private citizens. The cave is 

located on private land. At some time 

after discovery, they were transferred to 

Southern Colorado State College. In 

1999, when the college closed the 

Laboratory of Anthropology, the 

remains were transferred to History 

Colorado. They are identified as OAHP 

Case Number 175. No known 

individuals were identified. The eight 

non-diagnostic associated funerary 

objects are one leather bag in fragments; 

one lock of black hair; one lot of corn 

cobs; one strand of braided grass; one 

modified animal bone, possibly a bone 

bead blank; one lot of cordage 

fragments; one faunal bone and one 

animal tooth. 

Osteological analysis determined the 

individuals are of Native American 

ancestry. One individual exhibits 

cranial modification. 

In 1981, human remains representing, 

at minimum, one individual were 

removed from 5PE6811 in Pueblo 

County, CO, by a private citizen. The 

site is located on private land. In July 

2008, he turned the remains over to the 

county coroner. The State Archaeologist 

was notified as they were determined to 

be Native American. The location of 

removal was investigated and the 

remains transferred to History Colorado. 

They are identified as OAHP Case 

Number 263. No known individuals 

were identified. The 11 non-diagnostic 

associated funerary objects are beads 

manufactured between 1790 and the late 

1800s. 

Osteological analysis determined that 

the individual was of Native American 

ancestry. 

Determinations Made by History 

Colorado 

Officials at History Colorado have 

determined that: 

• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9)–(10), 

the human remains described above 

represent the physical remains of six 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 7, 2012 / Notices 13629 

individuals of Native American 

ancestry. 

• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), 

the 36 objects 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. 

• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a 

relationship of shared group identity 

cannot be reasonably traced between the 

Native American human remains 

described above and any present-day 

Indian tribe. 

History Colorado has determined that 

the human remains are ‘‘culturally 

unidentifiable’’ under NAGPRA, 43 CFR 

10.9(e)(6). In 2006, History Colorado, in 

partnership with the Colorado 

Commission of Indian Affairs, Southern 

Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute 

Reservation, Colorado, and Ute 

Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain 

Reservation, Colorado, New Mexico & 

Utah conducted consultations with the 

tribes that have ancestral ties to the state 

of Colorado to develop the process for 

disposition of culturally unidentifiable 

Native American human remains and 

associated funerary objects originating 

from inadvertent discoveries on 

Colorado state and private lands. As a 

result of the consultation, a process was 

developed, Process for Consultation, 

Transfer, and Reburial of Culturally 

Unidentifiable Native American Human 

Remains and Associated Funerary 

Objects Originating From Inadvertent 

Discoveries on Colorado State and 

Private Lands (2008) (unpublished, on 

file with the Colorado Office of 

Archaeology and Historic Preservation). 

The remains described above were 

recovered in or transferred from state 

agencies in the Great Plains 

Consultation Region, as established by 

the Process, and tribes consulted are 

those who have expressed their wishes 

to be notified of discoveries in this 

region. 

The Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Review 

Committee (Review Committee) is 

responsible for recommending specific 

actions for disposition of culturally 

unidentifiable human remains. On 

November 3–4, 2006, the Process was 

presented to the Review Committee for 

consideration. A January 8, 2007 letter 

on behalf of the Review Committee from 

the Designated Federal Officer 

transmitted the provisional 

authorization to proceed with the 

Process upon receipt of formal 

responses from the Jicarilla Apache 

Nation, New Mexico, and Kiowa Indian 

Tribe of Oklahoma, and subject to 

forthcoming conditions imposed by the 

Secretary of the Interior. On May 15–16, 

2008, the responses from the Jicarilla 

Apache Nation, New Mexico, and 

Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma were 

submitted to the Review Committee. On 

September 23, 2008, the Assistant 

Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and 

Parks, as the designee for the Secretary 

of the Interior, transmitted the 

authorization for the disposition of 

culturally unidentifiable human 

remains according to the Process and 

NAGPRA, pending publication of a 

Notice of Inventory Completion in the 

Federal Register. This notice fulfills 

that requirement. 

43 CFR 10.11 was promulgated March 

15, 2010, providing a process for the 

disposition of culturally unidentifiable 

Native American human remains 

recovered from tribal or aboriginal lands 

as established by the final judgment of 

the Indian Claims Commission or U.S. 

Court of Claims, a treaty, Act of 

Congress, or Executive Order, or other 

authoritative governmental sources. 

There is no available evidence 

indicating that the human remains 

reported in this notice originated from 

tribal or aboriginal lands, thus making 

them eligible for disposition under the 

Process. 

Additional Requestors and Disposition 

Representatives of any other Indian 

tribe that believes itself to be culturally 

affiliated with the human remains 

should contact Sheila Goff, NAGPRA 

Liaison, History Colorado, 1200 

Broadway, Denver, CO 80203, telephone 

(303) 866–4531, before April 6, 2012. 

Transfer of control of the human 

remains to the Southern Ute Indian 

Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, 

Colorado, and the Ute Mountain Tribe 

of the Ute Mountain Reservation, 

Colorado, New Mexico & Utah may 

proceed after that date if no additional 

claimants come forward. 

History Colorado is responsible for 

notifying the Apache Tribe of 

Oklahoma; Arapahoe Tribe of the Wind 

River Reservation, Wyoming; Cheyenne 

and Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma; 

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of the 

Cheyenne River Reservation, South 

Dakota; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; 

Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow 

Creek Reservation, South Dakota; Crow 

Tribe of Montana; Fort Sill Apache 

Tribe of Oklahoma; Hopi Tribe of 

Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New 

Mexico; Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico 

(formerly Pueblo of Santo Domingo); 

Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; 

Mescalero Apache Tribe of the 

Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; 

Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & 

Utah; Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the 

Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, 

Montana; Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine 

Ridge Reservation, South Dakota; Ohkay 

Owingeh, New Mexico (formerly the 

Pueblo of San Juan); Paiute Indian Tribe 

of Utah (Cedar Band of Paiutes, Kanosh 

Band of Paiutes, Koosharem Band of 

Paiutes, Indian Peaks Band of Paiutes, 

and Shivwits Band of Paiutes) (formerly 

Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (Cedar City 

Band of Paiutes, Kanosh Band of 

Paiutes, Koosharem Band of Paiutes, 

Indian Peaks Band of Paiutes, and 

Shivwits Band of Paiutes)); Pawnee 

Nation of Oklahoma; Pueblo of Acoma, 

New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; 

Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of 

Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, 

New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New 

Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; 

Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; 

Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; 

Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of 

Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, 

New Mexico; Rosebud Sioux Tribe of 

the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South 

Dakota; San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe 

of Arizona; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of 

the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho; 

Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River 

Reservation, Wyoming; Southern Ute 

Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Indian 

Reservation, Colorado; Standing Rock 

Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota; 

Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort 

Berthold Reservation, North Dakota; Ute 

Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray 

Reservation, Utah; Ute Mountain Tribe 

of the Ute Mountain Reservation, 

Colorado, New Mexico & Utah; Wichita 

and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, 

Waco & Tawakoni), Oklahoma; Ysleta 

Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and the Zuni 

Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 

Mexico, that this notice has been 

published. 

Dated: March 2, 2012. 

Sherry Hutt, 

Manager, National NAGPRA Program. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5586 Filed 3–6–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

[2253–665] 

Notice of Inventory Completion: 

History Colorado, Denver, CO 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: History Colorado (formerly 

the Colorado Historical Society) has 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES