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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 227 (Monday, November 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 92975-92976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27514]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039111; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

Notice of Intended Repatriation: Museum of Us, San Diego, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Museum of Us intends to repatriate 
certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated 
funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian 
Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES: Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice may occur on 
or after December 26, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Carmen Mosley, NAGPRA Repatriation Manager, Museum of Us, 
1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101, telephone (619) 239-
2001 Ext. 42, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the 
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
Museum of Us, and additional information on the determinations in this 
notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the 
summary or related records. The National Park Service is not 
responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

    A total of 145 cultural items have been requested for repatriation. 
The 14 unassociated funerary objects removed from Thistle Mound (CV-12) 
in Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA, include eight pieces of flat 
matting bone needles, three stone discs, one hammerstone, one string of 
Olivella shell beads, and one string of clam shell beads. The 131 
unassociated funerary objects removed from Lovejoy (Dalton) Mound (CV-
16) in Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA include two lots of carbonized 
basketry material, one basket fragment, 36 Haliotis ornament pieces, 
six bipointed bone objects, 19 perforated carnivore canine teeth, 64 
projectile points, and three perforated mica pendants.
    Between 1930 and 1936, the 145 unassociated funerary objects were 
removed by Henry Gibbs, a private collector and looter. In 1937, Paul 
A. Walker purchased Gibbs' Central Valley, California archeological 
collection. Walker was an amateur archeologist and collector who worked 
by himself and with other amateur archeologists, and in collaboration 
with the University of California and Sacramento Junior College. Over 
the course of his life, Walker amassed an extensive archeological 
collection from California's Central Valley and smaller collections 
from Northern and Southern California, and outside of California. In 
1968, Walker's private archeological collection was acquired by the San 
Diego Museum of Man (now Museum of Us) through a purchase/donation 
transaction with Walker's widow, Bessie B. Walker.

Determinations

    The Museum of Us has determined that:
     The 145 unassociated funerary objects described above are 
reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or near 
individual human remains, and are connected, either at the time of 
death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a Native 
American culture according to the Native American traditional knowledge 
of a lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization. 
The unassociated funerary objects have been identified by a 
preponderance of the evidence as related to human remains, specific 
individuals, or families, or removed from a specific burial site or 
burial area of an individual or individuals with cultural affiliation 
to an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
     There is a reasonable connection between the cultural 
items described in this notice and the Ione Band of Miwok Indians of 
California and the Wilton Rancheria, California.

Requests for Repatriation

    Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural items 
in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified 
in this notice under ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation may be 
submitted by any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a 
preponderance of the evidence, that

[[Page 92976]]

the requestor is a lineal descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian 
Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
    Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice to a requestor 
may occur on or after December 26, 2024. If competing requests for 
repatriation are received, the Museum of Us must determine the most 
appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint 
repatriation of the cultural items are considered a single request and 
not competing requests. The Museum of Us is responsible for sending a 
copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian 
organizations identified in this notice and to any other consulting 
parties.
    Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 
25 U.S.C. 3004 and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9.

    Dated: November 18, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-27514 Filed 11-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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