[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 30019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14575]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
from Port Huron, MI in the Possession of the Port Huron Museum, Port 
Huron, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 43 CFR 10.9, 
of the completion of an inventory of human remains in the possession of 
the Port Huron Museum, Port Huron, MI.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Port Huron 
Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives of the 
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; and the Walpole Island First 
Nation, ONT, Canada.
    In 1971, human remains representing one individual were recovered 
from Lakeside Beach on Lake Huron (north of Port Huron) by an unknown 
individual and donated to the Port Huron Museum in 1972. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    Based on the location of the remains and the state of preservation, 
this individual has been determined to be Native American. In 1985, the 
Port Huron Museum deaccessioned all Native American human remains in 
its collections and turned them over to a representative of the Walpole 
Island First Nation. Although included in the 1985 deaccessioning, the 
human remains noted above were accidently overlooked and discovered in 
the Museum's collections in 1998.
    The human remains listed above constitute newly-found items from a 
previously repatriated collection. Because the previous repatriated 
collection was returned prior to the enactment of NAGPRA, this notice 
is being published to document the return of human remains as part of 
an action on a repatriation request pending on the date of NAGPRA's 
enactment. As the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan and the 
Walpole Island First Nation communities are culturally related and 
working in cooperation regarding repatriation activities, this pending 
repatriation request will now involve the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe 
of Michigan.
    Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the Port 
Huron Museum have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the 
human remains listed above represent the physical remains of one 
individual of Native American ancestry. Officials of the Port Huron 
Museum have not determined the cultural affiliation of these Native 
American human remains because, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3009 (2), these 
human remains are part of an action on a repatriation request pending 
on the date of enactment of NAPGRA and will therefore be repatriated to 
the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Saginaw Chippewa 
Indian Tribe of Michigan and Walpole Island First Nation of Canada. 
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes it may have an 
interest in these human remains should contact Stephen R. Williams, 
Director, Port Huron Museum, 1115 Sixth Street, Port Huron, MI 48060; 
telephone: (810) 982-0891.
Dated: May 21, 1998.
Francis P. McManamon,
Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Manager, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 98-14575 Filed 6-1-98 ; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F