Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 117 / Monday, June 18, 2001 / Notices 32845

Tribe of South Dakota; Oglala Sioux

Tribe of South Dakota; Rosebud Sioux

Tribe of South Dakota; Santee Sioux

Tribe of Nebraska; and Yankton Sioux

Tribe of South Dakota. Representatives

of any other Indian tribe that believes

itself to be culturally affiliated with

these human remains should contact

superintendent Ruthann Knudson,

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument,

301 River Road, Harrison, NE 69346-

2734, telephone (308) 668-2211,

facsimile (308) 668-2318, e-mail

ruthann_knudson@nps.gov, no later

than July 18, 2001. Repatriation of the

human remains to the Pawnee Indian

Tribe of Oklahoma, Blackfeet Tribe of

the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of

Montana, and Crow Tribe of Montana

may begin after that date if no

additional claimants come forward.

Dated: May 7, 2001.

John Robbins,

Assistant Director, Cultural Resources

Stewardship and Partnerships.

[FR Doc. 01–15304 Filed 6–15–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–F

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Inventory Completion for

Native American Human Remains and

Associated Funerary Objects in the

Possession of the U.S. Department of

the Interior, National Park Service,

Lake Meredith National Recreation

Area, Fritch, TX

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior

ACTION: Notice

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 possession of the U.S. Department

of the Interior, National Park Service,

Lake Meredith National Recreation

Area, Fritch, TX.

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. The

Assistant Director, Cultural Resources

Stewardship and Partnerships is not

responsible for the determinations

within this notice.

A detailed assessment and inventory

of the human remains and associated

funerary objects has been made by

professional staff of the National Park

Service in consultation with

representatives of the Caddo Indian

Tribe of Oklahoma; Pawnee Nation of

Oklahoma; Comanche Indian Tribe,

Oklahoma; Kiowa Indian Tribe of

Oklahoma; Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of

Oklahoma; and Wichita & Affilitated

Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco &

Tawakonie), Oklahoma. The

Cohuiltecan Nation, a non-Federally

recognized Native American group, also

was consulted.

In 1961, human remains representing

one individual were recovered during a

legally-authorized survey of State site

41P2, then under the management of the

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau

of Reclamation. No known individual

was identified. No associated funerary

objects are present. Items found

elsewhere at the site indicate that these

human remains probably were buried

during the Late Prehistoric period (A.D.

900–1700).

In 1964, human remains representing

a minimum of 22 individuals were

recovered during legally-authorized

excavation by F.E. Green of Texas Tech

University at the Footprint site, then

under the management of the U.S.

Department of the Interior, Bureau of

Reclamation. No known individuals

were identified. The 83 associated

funerary objects are 2 shell pendants, 68

shell beads, 3 tool fragments, 3 beveled

knives, 1 triangular knife, 1 Borger

cordmarked pot, 4 bone awls, and 1

fragment of burned animal bone. The

associated funerary objects indicate that

these human remains probably were

buried during the Antelope Creek Focus

of the Plains Village-Panhandle Aspect

(A.D. 1100–1400).

On March 15, 1965, Lake Meredith

National Recreation Area, then called

Sanford National Recreation Area, came

under the joint administration of the

Bureau of Reclamation and the National

Park Service. Control of the collections

recovered prior to that date has been

assumed by the National Park Service.

In 1967, human remains representing

one individual were recovered during

legally-authorized excavation near the

Footprint site. No known individual

was identified. No associated funerary

objects are present. These human

remains are believed to date to the same

time as the Footprint site.

In June 1969, human remains

representing a minimum of four

individuals were recovered during

legally-authorized excavations by the

Texas Archeological Society at the Blue

Creek site. No known individuals were

identified. The 264 associated funerary

objects are 253 potsherds, 3 chipped

stone flakes, 1 unworked mammal bone

fragment, 3 Washita type stone arrow

points, 1 bison tibia digging stick, and

3 unidentified lithic specimens. The

associated funerary objects indicate that

these human remains probably were

buried during the Plains VillagePanhandle Aspect (A.D. 1100–1400).

Archeological information indicates a

continuous occupation of the Texas

panhandle area from A.D. 1 through the

Plains Village-Panhandle Aspect.

Wichita oral tradition links these earlier

populations with the Escanxaques, or

Iscani people, a constituent band of the

present-day Wichita & Affilitated Tribes

(Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie),

Oklahoma. Kiowa oral tradition

indicates Kiowa occupation of the Lake

Meredith area during prehistoric times.

Based on the above-mentioned

information, the superintendent of Lake

Meredith National Recreation Area has

determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR

10.2 (d)(1), the human remains listed

above represent the physical remains of

28 individuals of Native American

ancestry. The superintendent of Lake

Meredith National Recreation Area also

has determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR

10.2 (d)(2), the 336 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 a death rite or ceremony. Lastly,

the superintendent of Lake Meredith

National Recreation Area has

determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR

10.2 (e), 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 Wichita & Affilitated

Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco &

Tawakonie), Oklahoma and the Kiowa

Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

This notice has been sent to officials

of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma;

Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma; Comanche

Indian Tribe, Oklahoma; Kiowa Indian

Tribe of Oklahoma; Cheyenne-Arapaho

Tribes of Oklahoma; and Wichita &

Affilitated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi,

Waco & Tawakonie), Oklahoma. This

notice has also been sent to officials of

the Cohuiltecan Nation, a non-Federally

recognized Native American group.

Representatives of any other Indian tribe

that believes itself to be culturally

affiliated with these human remains and

associated funerary objects should

contact John C. Benjamin,

Superintendent, Lake Meredith National

Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1460, 419

East Broadway, Fritch, TX 79036,

telephone (806) 857–3151, before July

18, 2001. Repatriation of the human

remains and associated funerary objects

to the Wichita & Affilitated Tribes

(Wichita, Keechi, Waco & Tawakonie),

32846 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 117 / Monday, June 18, 2001 / Notices

Oklahoma and the Kiowa Indian Tribe

of Oklahoma may begin after that date

if no additional claimants come

forward.

Dated: April 5, 2001.

John Robbins,

Assistant Director, Cultural Resources

Stewardship and Partnerships.

[FR Doc. 01–15305 Filed 6–15–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–F

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Inventory Completion for

Native American Human Remains and

Associated Funerary Objects in the

Possession of the U.S. Department of

the Interior, National Park Service,

Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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 possession of the U.S. Department

of the Interior, National Park Service,

Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo, MS.

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 unit that has control or

possession of these Native American

human remains. The Assistant Director,

Cultural Resources Stewardship and

Partnerships is not responsible for the

determinations within this notice.

A detailed assessment of the human

remains was made by National Park

Service professional staff in

consultation with representatives of 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; Choctaw

Nation of Oklahoma; 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; Muskogee (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;

Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe of Louisiana;

and the United Keetoowah Band of

Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma. The

Shawnee Tribe, also known also as the

‘‘Loyal Shawnee’’ or ‘‘Cherokee

Shawnee,’’ a nonfederally recognized

Native American group at the time that

they were consulted, have 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.

The 75 human remains and 41

associated funerary objects described

below were recovered from three

different sites.

In 1963 and 1964, human remains

representing 10 individuals were

recovered from the Boyd site during an

authorized National Park Service project

to mitigate construction impacts from

the Natchez Trace Parkway. No known

individuals were identified. The 24

associated funerary objects are pieces of

a single Baytown Plain ceramic jar.

The Boyd site is located in Madison

County, MS, and consists of a village

area and six mounds. On the basis of

artifacts recovered during the

excavations, the village area was

occupied during the Woodland period

(A.D. 300–700), while the mounds were

built during the Mississippian period

(A.D. 1000–1650). The human remains

and associated funerary objects were

associated with the Mississippian

period use of the site. One burial was

recovered with fragments of a Baytown

Plain ceramic jar, a ceramic type often

associated with the Late Woodland and

Early Mississippian period (A.D. 700–

1200). In 1949, human remains

representing 36 individuals were

recovered from the Gordon Mounds site

during a legally authorized National

Park Service excavation prior to the

construction of the Natchez Trace

Parkway. No known individuals were

identified. The 17 associated funerary

objects are 12 ceramic fragments

representing 5 different vessels, 3

projectile points, and 1 stone celt.

The Gordon Mounds site is located in

Jefferson County, MS, and consists of

two mounds and a village area. On the

basis of artifacts recovered during the

excavations the site was occupied

during the Late Woodland and

Mississippian periods (A.D. 600–1750).

Ceramic types include Mazique Incised

and Addis Plain, ceramic types often

associated with the late prehistoric

occupants of the Natchez, MS, area and

with the Natchez Indians.

In 1948 and 1972, human remains

representing 29 individuals were

recovered from the Emerald Mound site

during legally authorized excavation

projects. No known individuals were

identified. No associated funerary

objects are present.

The Emerald Mound site is located in

the vicinity of Natchez, MS, and

consists of two mounds and a plaza

area. On the basis of artifacts recovered

during excavation, the site was

occupied during the late precontact

phase of the Mississippian period (A.D.

1200–1650, or later). Ceramic types that

have been historically associated with

the Natchez Indians were found

throughout the site. The cremated

remains of infants were found in the

mound. Infant sacrifice is a cultural trait

that has been affiliated with the

Natchez.

In 1542, Hernando de Soto’s

expedition heard of, and later

encountered hostile Indians along the

lower Mississippi River believed to have

been the Natchez and their allies. In

1682, the de La Salle expedition

specifically identified the Natchez as

living along the banks of the lower

Mississippi River. Following an

unsuccessful rebellion against the

French in 1729, the Natchez were

dispersed. About 400 individuals

surrendered to the French and were sent

to the West Indies as slaves. The

remaining Natchez withdrew among the

Chickasaw and ultimately separated

into two main bands, one settling among

the Upper Creeks and the other uniting

with the Cherokee.

After their removal to Indian

Territory, Natchez descendants settled

along both sides of the border between

the Creek and Cherokee Nations.

Consultation with tribal representatives

indicates that those Natchez in the

Cherokee Nation were regarded as

‘‘Nahchee Creeks.’’ The Natchez

language was still spoken by some in

the Creek Nation until the early 20th

century and by some among the

Cherokee until the 1940s. Despite the

later survival of the Natchez language

among the Cherokee, the Natchez

survived longest as a recognizable

sociocultural entity among the Creeks,

where the Natchez remnant ultimately

was taken in by the still-extant Ahbika

ceremonial ground in the present-day

Muskogee (Creek) Nation. Given

territorial proximity and complexities of

modern Cherokee tribal alignments in

Oklahoma, both the Cherokee Nation

and the United Keetowah Band of

Cherokee Indians are likely to include

tribal members of Natchez descent.

Based on the above mentioned

information, the superintendent of

Natchez Trace Parkway has determined

that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the

human remains listed above represent