[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 32857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16091]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains 
and Associated Funerary Objects from Nye County, NV, in the Control of 
the Nevada Test Site, Nevada Operations Office, Department of Energy, 
Las Vegas, NV

AGENCY: National Park Service

ACTION: Notice

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    Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 
3003 (d), of the completion of an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects in the control of the Nevada Test Site, 
Nevada Operations Office, Department of Energy, Las Vegas, NV.
    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by DOE Nevada 
Test Site professional staff and Nevada State Museum professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Benton Paiute Tribe, Big 
Pine Paiute Tribe, Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute Tribe, 
the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, the Ely 
Shoshone Tribe, the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute 
Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the 
Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe 
of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe. The 
Pahrump Paiute Indian Tribe, the Las Vegas Indian Center and Owens 
Valley Board of Trustees, three non-Federally recognized Native 
American groups, were also consulted.
    In 1964, human remains representing one individual was donated to 
the Nevada State Museum by Frederick C. Worman, Los Alamos Scientific 
Laboratory. These human remains were recovered from the Pahute Mesa 
area within the Nevada Test Site by workers at the site and turned over 
to the Nye County Sheriff's office. No known individuals were 
identified. The 1,318 associated funerary objects include basketry 
fragments, a chert flake, glass seed beads, two quartz crystals, and 
unworked bone.
    Archeological surveys on and around Pahute Mesa have identified 
numerous archeological sites reflecting activities of Shoshone/Paiute 
family groups. Additional ethnographic work and archeological 
reconstructions have shown at least eight Shoshone/Paiute family groups 
residing in the Pahute Mesa region during the late nineteenth century. 
The basketry fragments found with the burials are consistent with other 
Shoshone/Paiute basketry found in other archeological sites in the 
Pahute Mesa region. Consultation with traditional religious leaders and 
tribal representatives confirms the talus burials are a traditional 
manner of internment. Consultation evidence presented by traditional 
religious leaders and tribal representatives also indicates the 
funerary objects are consistent with traditional burial practices.
    Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the Nevada 
Test Site, Nevada Operations Office, Department of Energy 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 Nevada Test Site, Nevada Operations 
Office, Department of Energy have also determined that, pursuant to 25 
U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 1,318 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. 
Lastly, officials of the Nevada Test Site, Nevada Operations Office, 
Department of Energy have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 
(2), there is a relationship of shared group identity which can be 
reasonably traced between these Native American human remains and 
associated funerary objects and the Benton Paiute Tribe, Big Pine 
Paiute Tribe, Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute Tribe, the 
Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, the Ely 
Shoshone Tribe, the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute 
Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the 
Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe 
of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe.
    This notice has been sent to officials of the Benton Paiute Tribe, 
Big Pine Paiute Tribe, Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute 
Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, 
the Ely Shoshone Tribe, the Fort Independence Indian Community of 
Paiute Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, 
the Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian 
Tribe of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone 
Tribe; and the Pahrump Paiute Tribe, the Las Vegas Indian Center, and 
Owens Valley Board of Trustees, three Native American groups. 
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with these human remains and associated funerary 
objects should contact Robert C. Furlow, NAGPRA Compliance Program 
Manager, Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, P.O. Box 
98518, Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518; telephone: (702) 295-0845, before July 
25, 1996. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the Benton Paiute Tribe, Big Pine Paiute Tribe, Bishop 
Paiute Tribe, the Chemehuevi Paiute Tribe, the Colorado River Indian 
Tribes, the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, the Ely Shoshone Tribe, the Fort 
Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians, the Lone Pine Paiute 
Tribe, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the Kaibab Paiute Tribe, the Moapa 
Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, the Timbisha Shoshone 
Tribe, and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe may begin after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
Dated: June 19, 1996.
Francis P. McManamon,
Departmental Consulting Archeologist,
Chief, Archeology and Ethnography Program.
[FR Doc. 96-16091 Filed 6-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F