[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 51 (Thursday, March 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15389-15390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6320]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Notice of Inventory Completion: California Department of Parks 
and Recreation, Sacramento, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The California Department of Parks and Recreation has 
completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary 
objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes, and has 
determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human 
remains and associated funerary objects and present-day Indian tribes. 
Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary 
objects may contact the California Department of Parks and Recreation. 
Repatriation 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 and associated funerary 
objects should contact the California Department of Parks and 
Recreation at the address below by April 16, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Rebecca Carruthers, NAGPRA Coordinator, California 
Department of Parks and Recreation, 1416 9th Street, Room 902, 
Sacramento, CA 95814, telephone (916) 653-8893.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby 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 the California 
Department of Parks and Recreation. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from the Cole Creek site (CA-LAK-425), 
Lake County, CA.
    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 the 
California Department of Parks and Recreation professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Big Valley Band of Pomo 
Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, California; Elem Indian Colony of 
Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, California; Lower Lake 
Rancheria, California; Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of 
California; and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1975, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the Cole Creek site (CA-LAK-425) in Lake County, CA, 
during salvage excavations conducted by Ron King and Dr. David A. 
Fredrickson when road construction exposed human remains within Clear 
Lake State Park. No known individuals were identified. The 10 
associated funerary objects are 4 flakes, 3 utilized flakes, 1 blade, 1 
core and 1 lot of food remains.
    The age of this burial is dated to the late prehistoric period. The 
site itself has an early component that may date to the Mendocino 
Aspect or Borax Lake Pattern (circa B.C. 2000-500). Archeology in the 
Napa Valley shows occupation from about 2,000 or at most 4,000 years 
ago. It has been suggested that the Wappo language separated from other 
Yukian languages about B.C. 1000, suggesting that the Wappo may have 
been the first settlers of the area after the people of the Borax Lake 
Pattern. This site is within the historically documented geographic 
territory of the Wappo. The associated funerary objects are consistent 
with occupation of the site by the Wappo. Based on linguistic evidence 
and historical geographical association, officials of the California 
Department of Parks and Recreation have determined that there is a 
relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced 
between these Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects and the present-day Federally recognized Pomo Indian Tribes.

Determinations Made by the California Department of Parks and 
Recreation

    Officials of the California Department of Parks and Recreation have 
determined that:
    <bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry.
    <bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the ten 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.
    <bullet> 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 and the Big 
Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, California; 
Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, 
California; Lower Lake Rancheria, California; Middletown Rancheria of 
Pomo Indians of California; and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians 
of California.

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 Rebecca Carruthers, NAGPRA Coordinator, 
California Department of Parks and Recreation, 1416 9th Street, Room 
902, telephone (916) 653-8893, before April 16, 2012. Repatriation of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Big Valley 
Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria, California; Elem 
Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria, 
California; Lower Lake Rancheria, California; Middletown Rancheria of 
Pomo Indians of California; and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians 
of California may proceed after that date if no additional claimants 
come forward.
    The California Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible 
for notifying the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley 
Rancheria, California; Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the 
Sulphur Bank Rancheria, California; Lower Lake Rancheria, California; 
Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California; and the Scotts 
Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California that this notice has been 
published.


[[Page 15390]]


    Dated: March 12, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-6320 Filed 3-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-P