[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19687-19689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7890]


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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 May 2, 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 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 the California 
Department of Parks and Recreation. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from ten sites located in northeastern 
San Diego 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

[[Page 19688]]

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 and associated funerary 
objects was made by the California Department of Parks and Recreation 
professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Agua 
Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of the Agua Caliente Indian 
Reservation, California; Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians, California 
(formerly the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the 
Augustine Reservation); Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, California; 
Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians of the Cahuilla Reservation, 
California; Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians, California 
(formerly the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla & Cupeno Indians of the Los 
Coyotes Reservation); Morongo Band of Mission Indians, California 
(formerly the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Morongo 
Reservation); Ramona Band of Cahuilla, California (formerly the Ramona 
Band or Village of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California); Santa Rosa 
Band of Cahuilla Indians, California (formerly the Santa Rosa Band of 
Cahuilla Mission Indians of the Santa Rosa Reservation); and Torres-
Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, California (formerly the Torres-
Martinez Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians of California) (hereafter 
referred to as ``The Tribes'').

History and Description of the Remains

    The human remains and associated funerary objects listed in this 
notice were removed from ten sites located in northeastern San Diego 
County, CA. The geographical location of these ten sites indicates the 
human remains were recovered within the historically documented 
territory of the Cahuilla. The traditional aboriginal territory of the 
Cahuilla, as defined by anthropologist Lowell John Bean, encompasses a 
geographically diverse area of mountains, valleys and low desert zones. 
The southernmost boundary approximately followed a line from just below 
Borrego Springs to the north end of the Salton Basin and the Chocolate 
Mountains. The eastern boundary ran along the summit of the San 
Bernardino Mountains. The northern boundary stood within the San 
Jacinto Plain near Riverside, while the base of Palomar Mountain formed 
the western boundary. According to Bean and archeologist William D. 
Strong, the northern end of Anza Borrego Desert State Park lies within 
the traditional territory of the Cahuilla and includes the areas of 
Borrego Palm Canyon, Coyote Canyon, Clark Valley, the Santa Rosa 
Mountains, Jackass Flat, Rockhouse Canyon and Horse Canyon.
    In April of 1972, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from site CA-SDI-343 (Santa Caterina/Lower 
Willows) in the Coyote Canyon area of Anza Borrego Desert State Park by 
Professor Paul Ezell and archeology students from San Diego State 
University. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present. The age of the human remains is unknown.
    At an unknown date in the 1970s, a cremated human bone 
representing, at minimum, one individual was removed from site CA-SDI-
489 (Ocotillo Flats) in the Coyote Canyon area of Anza Borrego Desert 
State Park by archeologist William Seidel during a survey of the area. 
No known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present. The age of the human remains is unknown.
    At an unknown date in the 1970s, a cremated human bone 
representing, at minimum, one individual was removed from site CA-SDI-
1116 in the Coyote Canyon area of Anza Borrego Desert State Park by 
archeologist William Seidel during a survey of the area. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present. 
The age of the human remains is unknown.
    In 1955, human remains representing, at minimum, three individuals 
were removed from site CA-SDI-1465 (Hidden Springs) in the Borrego Palm 
Canyon and Jackass Flats areas of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. No 
known individuals were identified. The 40 associated funerary objects 
are 1 quartzite flake; 8 potsherds of undetermined ware; 6 buffware 
potsherds; 11 potsherds in pieces; 1 flake of obsidian shatter; 1 
obsidian finishing/resharpening flake (source determined to be Obsidian 
Butte); 2 obsidian finishing/resharpening flakes; 1 quartz flake; 1 
charred Agavaceae seed; 1 green fused shale biface tip; 1 burnt 
wonderstone flake; 2 burned worked faunal bone fragments; l lot of 
faunal bone fragments; 1 lot of unidentified faunal bone fragments; 1 
burnt Olivella dama shell bead; and 1 burnt shell disk bead (possibly 
an Olivella callus or clam shell disk bead). The age of the human 
remains and associated funerary objects is unknown.
    At an unknown date in the 1970s, human cranial bone fragments 
representing, at minimum, one individual were removed from site CA-SDI-
2366 (Carlburg) located near Clark Dry Lake in Anza Borrego Desert 
State Park by archeologist William Seidel. No known individual was 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. The age of the 
human remains is unknown.
    At an unknown date in the 1990s, a cremated human bone 
representing, at minimum, one individual was removed from the surface 
of site CA-SDI-16494 (Horse Camp) in the Coyote Canyon area of Anza 
Borrego Desert State Park by California State Parks Archaeologist Rae 
Schwaderer. No known individual was identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present. The age of the human remains is unknown.
    At an unknown date in the 1970s, human bone fragments representing, 
at minimum, two individuals were removed from an unidentified site 
located south of the elementary school in Borrego Springs, CA by 
archeologist William Seidel. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present. The age of the human remains 
is unknown.
    At an unknown date in the late 1950s or early 1960s, a human bone 
representing, at minimum, one individual was removed from an 
unidentified site described as a ``sand dune in Clark Dry Lake'' 
approximately seven miles northeast of Borrego Springs, CA, by 
archeologist William Wallace. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present. The age of the human remains 
is unknown.
    On March 5, 1955, human bones representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from an unidentified site described as a 
``sand dune in Clark Dry Lake'' in Anza Borrego Desert State Park by 
Ben McCown. No known individual was identified. The 181 associated 
funerary objects are 1 lot of burnt shell beads; 1 granite mano 
fragment; 2 fragments of obsidian shatter; 4 wonderstone flakes; 1 
wonderstone cottonwood triangular projectile point; 3 faunal bones; 1 
lot of burnt faunal bone; and 168 potsherds. The age of the human 
remains is unknown; however, the cottonwood triangular projectile 
suggests a date for both the remains and associated funerary objects in 
the ``Late Period.''
    In 1975 and 1978, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from site CA-SD-98 in the Borrego Palm Canyon 
area of Anza Borrego Desert State Park by archeologist William Seidel. 
No known individual was identified. The 33 associated funerary objects 
are 2 lots of faunal bones; 8 soil samples; 1 lot of

[[Page 19689]]

Olivella biplicata rough disk shell beads; 2 lots of various shell 
fragments; 3 ceramic pipe fragments; 1 polished bone fragment; 1 rusted 
square nail; 2 rusted iron fragments; 1 sample of organic matter; 5 
projectile points or fragmentary projectile points; 1 lot of obsidian 
flakes; 1 lot of wonderstone flakes; 1 lot of quartz flakes; 1 lot of 
quartzite flakes; 1 lot of sherds representing a painted pottery scoop 
of Tumco Buffware; 1 lot of sherds of pottery with an undetermined 
ware; and 1 lot of Brownware pottery sherds.
    The human remains and associated funerary objects listed above were 
stored at facilities within the Colorado Desert District of the 
California Department of Parks and Recreation until an inventory effort 
was begun in 2004. Since then, the remains have been stored at the 
Bigole Archaeological Research Center (BARC-2) in Borrego Springs, CA.

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 fifteen individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
    <bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 254 associated 
funerary objects 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 The Tribes.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains should contact Rebecca 
Carruthers, NAGPRA Coordinator, California Department of Parks and 
Recreation, 1416 9th Street, Room 902, telephone (916) 653-8893, before 
May 2, 2012. Repatriation of the human remains to The Tribes may 
proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
    The California Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible 
for notifying The Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 28, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2012-7890 Filed 3-30-12; 8:45 am]
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