[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51509-51510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20411]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items: U.S. Department of 
the Interior, National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation 
Area, Coulee Dam, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent 
to repatriate cultural items that are in the control of the U.S. 
Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt 
National Recreation Area, Coulee Dam, WA, that meet the definition of 
``unassociated funerary objects'' under 25 U.S.C 3005. They were 
removed from ten archeological sites within the boundaries of Lake 
Roosevelt National Recreation Area. Seven of the sites are in Ferry 
County, WA, and three are in Stevens County, WA.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d)(3). 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
superintendent, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.
    On April 9, 1872, land on the east side of the Columbia River in 
Washington Territory was set aside as the Colville Reservation by 
Executive Order. On July 2, 1872, that land was restored to the public 
domain, and land on the west side of the Columbia River was set aside 
as the Colville Reservation. On July 1, 1892, Congress restored the 
north half of the Colville Reservation to the public domain, and 
reduced tribal lands through allotments to individual Indians under the 
Dawes Act of 1887. The two constituent tribes of the Confederated 
Tribes of the Colville Reservation that are traditionally associated 
with the area are the Colville and Lakes Tribes.
    Grand Coulee Dam, initiated by the Bureau of Reclamation in the 
1930s, was completed in 1941. Some of the lands inundated by the 
resulting reservoir had been previously reserved by either the 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington or the 
Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation, Washington. In 1946, a Tri-
Party Agreement among the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park 
Service and the Office of Indian Affairs was developed to manage the 
Coulee Dam Recreation Area in three zones: Reclamation Zone, Recreation 
Zone, and Reservation Zone. The agreement gave the National Park 
Service control of land in the Recreation Zone for most purposes, 
including the management of archeological resources. In 1990, a five-
party Lake Roosevelt Cooperative Management Agreement was implemented 
that included the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington and the Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation, Washington 
as signatories. The National Park Service retained control of the 
Recreation Zone. The recreation area became Lake Roosevelt National 
Recreation Area in 1997.
    The unassociated funerary objects were removed from ten 
archeological sites on land reserved by the Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington until 1946. The sites were affected by 
the Bureau of Reclamation's operation of Grand Coulee Dam since the 
early 1940s, and are within the Recreation Zone managed by the National 
Park Service. In 2005, the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Park 
Service jointly determined that Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area 
has control of the NAGPRA collections and responsibility for compliance 
with NAGPRA.
    From 1967 to 1978, human remains and associated funerary objects 
were collected by local residents from eroding shorelines along the 
banks of Lake Roosevelt or excavated by professional archeologists 
during legally authorized salvage excavations. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects were stored at Washington State University 
(WSU) until mid-1967, when they were moved to the Alfred W. Bowers 
Laboratory of Anthropology at the University of Idaho (UI). Human 
remains and associated funerary objects acquired after that time were 
transferred from Lake Roosevelt to the University of Idaho, and became 
part of the Kettle Falls Archeological Collection. Prior to the passage 
of NAGPRA on November 16, 1990, some of the human remains were 
repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington. In 1992, the Kettle Falls Archeological Collection was 
transferred to the Bureau of Reclamation's Grand Coulee Dam 
Administrative Headquarters. In 2006, the collection was transferred to 
the physical custody of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington.
    Between 1967 and 1978, human remains and funerary objects were 
removed from the Freeland Site (45-FE-1). Some of the human remains 
were repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington, while the rest were accessioned by the 
National Park Service, and are included in a separate Notice of 
Inventory Completion. The 1,026 unassociated funerary objects are 2 
projectile points, 2 lithic flakes, 516 dentalium shell beads, 241 
copper beads, 1 copper pendant, 1 copper plate, 14 copper fragments, 71 
pieces of verdigris (copper with a copper sulfate patina), 1 iron axe 
head, 1 shell, 52 pieces of plant fiber cordage, 1 piece of cordage 
with non-human hair and leather, 2 pieces of cordage with leather, 107 
leather strips, 4 scraps of leather hide, 1 leather knot, 4 pieces of 
non-human hair, 2 peach pits, 2 lots of quartzite debris, and 1 piece 
of cedar wood.
    The Freeland site is a Native American burial ground dating to the 
early historic period based upon the nature of associated funerary 
objects and the condition and preservation of the skeletal elements. 
The Colville and Lakes Tribes were decimated by smallpox soon after 
1800, and the Freeland site has been interpreted as an ``epidemic 
burial ground.''

[[Page 51510]]

    In 1971, 1972 and 1978, fragmentary human remains and funerary 
objects were removed from the Ksunku site (45-FE-45), on the north end 
of Hayes Island. Stratigraphic evidence indicates that these remains 
date to approximately 2,500 years B.P. Some of the human remains were 
repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington, while the rest were accessioned by the National Park 
Service, and are included in a separate Notice of Inventory Completion. 
The 83 unassociated funerary objects are 48 flakes, 4 pieces of incised 
bone, 1 charcoal sample, 2 non-human teeth, 4 quartzite knives, 2 
lithic cores, 2 quartzite slabs, 1 scraper, 1 cobble spall hammer, 1 
argillite perforator, 1 denticulate, 1 lot of obsidian debris, and 15 
pieces of non-human bone.
    In 1972, human remains and funerary objects were removed from an 
eroding burial at the Nancy Creek Site (45-FE-16), described as ``an 
aboriginal camp, burial, and historic site.'' The human remains were 
repatriated to the Colville Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington. The two unassociated funerary objects are one steatite 
(soapstone) pipe fragment and one unidentified animal claw.
    In 1972 and 1974, human remains and funerary objects were removed 
from the Chaudiere Site (45-FE-47), a late prehistoric period site. The 
human remains were repatriated to the Colville Tribe of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington. The 78 unassociated funerary objects are 5 
projectile points, 5 stone knives, 6 choppers, 4 scrapers, 3 stone 
hammers, 2 charred wood samples, 1 charcoal sample, 1 botanical sample 
(pine, chokecherry and hazelnut seeds), 27 lithic flakes, 1 core, 2 
slate pendants, 5 beaver incisors, 1 bone blanket pin or needle, 1 
biface, 1 graver, 1 shaft straightener, 2 copper pendants, 2 pieces of 
ochre, 1 celt, 1 preform, 1 incised bird bone gaming piece, 1 antler 
digging stick handle, and 4 antler wedges.
    In 1974, human remains and funerary objects were removed from the 
Sherman Creek Site (45-FE-51), a pit house village and extensive 
prehistoric cemetery exceeding 1,000 years in antiquity. Some of the 
human remains were repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington, while the rest were accessioned by 
the National Park Service, and are included in a separate Notice of 
Inventory Completion. The 1,306 unassociated funerary objects are 21 
quartzite knives, 42 quartzite knife blanks, 2 lithic flakes, 2 partial 
bone needles, 1,219 glass beads, 1 botanical sample, 1 clay pipe stem 
fragment, 1 dentalium shell ornament, 1 chopper, 8 incised bird bones, 
2 granite net weights, 2 pieces of a bone digging stick handle, 1 wood 
button, 1 copper button, and 2 incised bone digging stick handles.
    In 1974, human remains and funerary objects were removed from the 
Kwilkin Site (45-ST-98), a late prehistoric period site. The human 
remains were repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington. The five unassociated funerary objects are 
five lithic flakes.
    In 1974 and 1976, human remains and funerary objects were removed 
from the Shonitkwu site (45-FE-44), a prehistoric and historic 
archeological site on Hayes Island. The human remains were repatriated 
to the Colville Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington. The 80 
unassociated funerary objects are 5 pieces of charred wood from a 
burial container, 1 botanical sample, 1 cobble hammer, 25 lithic 
flakes, 5 projectile points or point fragments, 4 scrapers, 9 stone 
knives, 2 bifaces, 4 cores, 3 choppers, 1 tubular stone pipe, 2 bird 
bones, 1 beaver incisor, 3 pieces of iron, 1 iron and wood artifact 
with a burnt ``X'', 1 copper bead on a piece of cordage, 1 piece of 
cordage, 1 antler digging stick handle, 5 antler fragments, 1 iron 
sword blade, 1 quartz core or scraper, 1 quartzite perforator, 1 
argillite cobble spall, and 1 quartzite slab.
    In 1976, human remains and one funerary object were removed from 
the Ilthkoyape Site (45-FE-46), a prehistoric pit house village located 
on the northwest corner of Hayes Island. The human remains were 
repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington. The one unassociated funerary object is a granite shaft 
smoother.
    In 1976, human remains and funerary objects were removed from the 
Atslukstsin site (45-ST-45), a late prehistoric/historic site. The 
human remains were repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington. The 46 unassociated funerary objects 
are 13 lithic flakes, 2 scrapers, 3 bifaces, 25 dentalium shell beads, 
1 quartzite knife, 1 glass button with a metal loop fragment, and 1 
mussel shell.
    In 1977, human remains and funerary objects were removed from the 
vicinity of St. Paul's Mission (45-ST-95). The area features 
prehistoric archeological sites with burials, the mission and an 
historical, contact-period cemetery. The human remains were repatriated 
to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington. The 
two unassociated objects are one projectile point and one quartzite 
knife.
    Archeological analysis of the sites, anthropological research, 
ethnohistorical studies, and tribal oral traditions demonstrate by a 
preponderance of the evidence that the Native American human remains 
and funerary objects represent Plateau Culture Area, Interior Salish 
speakers who have continuously occupied the Columbia River drainage for 
thousands of years. The ten sites are within the judicially established 
aboriginal territory of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville 
Reservation, Washington. Members of the nearby Spokane Tribe of the 
Spokane Reservation are also Interior Salish speakers, but their 
aboriginal territory is to the east, along the Spokane River and its 
tributaries.
    Officials of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area have 
determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the 2,629 cultural 
items described 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of 
the evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of a 
Native American individual. Officials of Lake Roosevelt National 
Recreation Area also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 
(2), there is a relationship of shared group identity that can be 
reasonably traced between the unassociated funerary objects and the 
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with the unassociated funerary objects should 
contact Deborah Bird, superintendent, Lake Roosevelt National 
Recreation Area, 1008 Crest Drive, Coulee Dam, WA 99116-0037, telephone 
(509) 633-9441, before October 3, 2008. Repatriation of the 
unassociated funerary objects to the Confederated Tribes of the 
Colville Reservation, Washington may proceed after that date if no 
additional claimants come forward.
    Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is responsible for 
notifying the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 
Washington that this notice has been published.

    Dated: August 11, 2008
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E8-20411 Filed 9-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S