[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 117 (Monday, June 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32841-32842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15309]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
and Associated Funerary Objects in the Control of the U.S. Department 
of the Interior, National Park Service, Gulf Islands National Seashore, 
Gulf Breeze, FL

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 and associated 
funerary objects in the control of the U.S. Department of the Interior, 
National Park Service, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Gulf Breeze, FL.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR 10.2 (c). The 
determinations within this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
National Park Service unit that has control or possession of these 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects. The 
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships, is 
not responsible for the determinations within this notice.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects was made by National Park Service professional staff in 
consultation with the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; 
Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas; Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, 
Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; 
Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of 
North Carolina; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw 
Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal Town of the Creek Indian Nation, 
Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Mississippi Band of 
Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma; 
Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; 
Seminole Tribe of Florida, Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & 
Tampa Reservations; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town of the Creek Nation, 
Oklahoma; Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana; and United Keetoowah 
Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma. The Shawnee Tribe, also known 
also as the ``Loyal Shawnee'' or ``Cherokee Shawnee,'' a non-Federally 
recognized Native American group at the time that they were consulted, 
has since been recognized as eligible for the special programs and 
services provided by the United States to Indians because of their 
status as Indians under provisions of P.L. 106-568.
    Between 1964-1965, human remains representing seven individuals 
were recovered during excavations at the Naval Live Oaks Reservation 
Cemetery site. No known individuals were identified. The five 
associated funerary objects are one copper disk, one piece of iron, one 
piece of worked stone, and two ceramic vessel fragments. An unpublished 
report by Yulee and William C. Lazaras, and Donald Sharon provides an 
overview of the 16 burials originally excavated. At the time of the 
excavation, the Naval Live Oaks Reservation Cemetery site was under 
jurisdiction of the State of Florida. In 1971, the Naval Live Oaks 
Reservation Cemetery site became part of Gulf Islands National 
Seashore. The human remains and associated funerary objects appear to 
have been curated at the Fort Walton Temple Mound Museum until 1981, 
when they were transferred to the National Park Service. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects are currently curated at the 
National Park Service's Southeast Archeological Center in Tallahassee, 
FL.
    Analysis the ceramic vessel fragments indicates that the Naval Live 
Oaks Reservation Cemetery site was in use during the Bear Point phase 
of the Pensacola period (A.D. 1500 to 1700). Historical documentation 
places the Pensacola Indians in the area of the Naval Live Oak 
Reservation Cemetery site during that time period. The Pensacola 
Indians are known to have been assimilated into the Choctaw Indians, 
with whom they shared a common language and similar customs. However, 
some Pensacola Indians are believed to have gone west to join the 
Tunica-Biloxi Indians while others may have been assimilated into the 
Creeks who overtook this area around A.D. 1700. Thus, descendants of 
the Pensacola are likely to be found among the Choctaw, Tunica-Biloxi, 
and Creek Indians.
    Based on the above-mentioned information, the superintendent of 
Gulf Islands National Seashore has determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 
10.2 (d)(1), the human remains listed above represent the physical 
remains of seven individuals of Native American ancestry. The 
superintendent of Gulf Islands National Seashore also has determined 
that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2), the five objects listed 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. Finally, the superintendent of Gulf Islands National Seashore 
has determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (e), there is a 
relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced 
between these human remains and associated funerary objects and the 
Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; 
Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal Town, 
Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Mississippi Band of 
Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma; Poarch 
Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole 
Tribe of Florida, Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa 
Reservations; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Oklahoma; and Tunica-Biloxi 
Indian Tribe of Louisiana.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Absentee-Shawnee 
Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas; 
Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma; 
Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma; Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana; Choctaw 
Nation of Oklahoma; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of 
Cherokee Indians of North Carolina; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; 
Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal Town, 
Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Mississippi Band of 
Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Oklahoma; Poarch 
Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Seminole 
Tribe of Florida, Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood & Tampa 
Reservations; Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, 
Oklahoma; Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana; and United Keetoowah 
Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma. This notice also was sent to 
officials of the Independent Traditional Seminole Nation of Florida, a 
non-Federally recognized Indian group. Representatives of any other 
Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with 
these human remains should contact Jerry A. Eubanks, Superintendent, 
Gulf Islands National Seashore, 1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway,

[[Page 32842]]

Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, telephone (850) 934-2604, before July 18, 2001. 
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to 
the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation of 
Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, Louisiana; Kialegee Tribal 
Town, Oklahoma; Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; Mississippi 
Band of Choctaw Indians, Mississippi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation, 
Oklahoma; Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama; Seminole Nation of 
Oklahoma; Seminole Tribe of Florida, Dania, Big Cypress, Brighton, 
Hollywood & Tampa Reservations; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Oklahoma; and 
Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana may begin after the date if no 
additional claimants come forward.

    Dated: May 21, 2001.
John Robbins,
Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships.
[FR Doc. 01-15309 Filed 6-15-01; 8:45 am]
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