Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 10, 2008 / Notices 52677 

Huna Totem Corporation, and Sealaska 

Heritage Foundation that this notice has 

been published. 

Dated: August 20, 2008 

Sherry Hutt, 

Manager, National NAGPRA Program. 

[FR Doc. E8–21011 Filed 9–9–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–S 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural 

Items: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Portland District, Portland, OR and 

Museum of Anthropology, Washington 

State University, Pullman, WA 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

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 in the 

control of the U.S. Department of 

Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, 

Portland District, Portland, OR, and in 

the possession of the Museum of 

Anthropology, Washington State 

University, Pullman, WA, that meet the 

definition of ‘‘unassociated funerary 

objects’’ under 25 U.S.C. 3001. 

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 museum, institution, or Federal 

agency that has control of the cultural 

items. The National Park Service is not 

responsible for the determinations in 

this notice. 

In 1982, human remains of one Native 

American individual and funerary 

objects were found eroding out of a 

streamside terrace and mixed in 

adjacent back dirt piles from site 35–

MW–32, also known as the Willow 

Creek Lake Site, in Morrow County, OR. 

The site is located immediately west of 

the confluence between Willow Creek 

and Balm Fork, near Heppner, OR. The 

human remains, cultural items, and a 

large concentration of butchered animal 

bones were first observed by an 

employee who was working on a nearby 

channeling and surface grading project 

related to Willow Creek Dam 

construction at the Willow Creek Lake 

Project area. It is undetermined if the 

human remains and cultural items came 

from an isolated burial or if the 

construction activity disturbed the edge 

of a larger burial ground. The human 

remains and cultural items were 

assessed on-site by archeologists and 

personnel from the University of Idaho, 

Moscow, ID. The Army Corps of 

Engineers, Walla Walla District, then 

collected and transferred the human 

remains and cultural items for further 

analysis to the University of Idaho, 

Laboratory of Anthropology. The human 

remains and funerary objects were later 

transferred to the Museum of 

Anthropology, Washington State 

University for temporary curation until 

the responsible agency and repository 

could be identified and contacted. 

In 1984, the human remains were 

repatriated to the Confederated Tribes of 

the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon 

and reburied in Mission, OR. The 

funerary objects remained at the 

museum. The 51 unassociated funerary 

objects are 1 cobble pestle handle, 4 

fragments of a worked bone awl, 40 

pieces of chert debitage, 1 piece of 

basalt debitage, 2 pressed glassware 

fragments, and 3 square nails. 

Various Native American groups were 

known to follow Willow Creek and 

Balm Fork during travels to and from 

the mountainous areas. Although no 

dates of occupation were obtained by 

the researchers, the burial pattern 

observed within 35–WS–32 is consistent 

with the customs of Columbia Plateau 

Native American groups. Ethnographic 

and museum records indicate that the 

cultural items are consistent with 

cultural items typically found in context 

with burials characteristic of the MidColumbia River Basin. Oral histories 

and published ethnographic 

documentation indicate that site 35–

MW–32 is located within the traditional 

territory of the Confederated Tribes of 

the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 

Oregon. In particular, some 

ethnographic accounts place the site 

area within Umatilla and Cayuse home 

ranges during the equestrian period. 

Based on provenience, officials of the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland 

District reasonably believe the 

unassociated funerary objects are 

culturally affiliated with the 

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 

Indian Reservation, Oregon. 

Officials of the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Portland District have 

determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 

3001 (3)(B), the 51 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 

preponderance of the evidence, to have 

been removed from a specific burial site 

of a Native American individual. 

Officials of the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Portland District have also 

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 Umatilla 

Indian Reservation, Oregon. 

Representatives of any other Indian 

tribe that believes itself to be culturally 

affiliated with the unassociated funerary 

objects should contact Daniel Mulligan, 

NAGPRA Coordinator, Environmental 

Resources Branch, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Portland District, P.O. Box 

2946, Portland, OR 97208–2946, 

telephone (503) 808–4768, before 

October 10, 2008. Repatriation of the 

unassociated funerary objects to the 

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 

Indian Reservation, Oregon may 

proceed after that date if no additional 

claimants come forward. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Portland District is responsible for 

notifying the Confederated Tribes of the 

Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon 

that this notice has been published. 

Dated: August 18, 2008 

Sherry Hutt, 

Manager, National NAGPRA Program. 

[FR Doc. E8–21010 Filed 9–9–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–S 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Notice of Inventory Completion: 

Brigham Young University, Museum of 

Peoples and Cultures, Provo, UT 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Notice is here given in accordance 

with the Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Act 

(NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the 

completion of an inventory of human 

remains in possession of the Brigham 

Young University, Museum of Peoples 

and Cultures, Provo, UT. The human 

remains were removed from Milliard 

County, UT. 

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 museum, institution, or Federal 

agency that has control of the Native 

American human remains. The National 

Park Service is not responsible for the 

determinations in this notice. 

A detailed assessment of the human 

remains was made by Brigham Young 

University, Museum of Peoples and 

Cultures professional staff in 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
52678 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 176 / Wednesday, September 10, 2008 / Notices 

consultation with representatives of the 

Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 

Reservation and Colony, Nevada; San 

Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona; 

Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; 

Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker 

River Reservation, Nevada; and 

Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington 

Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada. 

At an unknown time, human remains 

representing a minimum of two 

individuals were removed from an 

unknown location (42MD) near 

Garrison, Milliard County, UT, by a 

private collector. In 1988, the human 

remains were donated by LaVon Rowley 

to the Museum of Peoples and Cultures 

(Catalog No. 1988.031.00001–00006; 

1988.031.00008–00019). No known 

individuals were identified. No 

associated funerary objects are present. 

Based on the general appearance and 

cultural features present on the surface 

at the time of the removal from the 

burial sites, the sites were determined to 

be Southern Paiute. The likely 

provenience of the human remains in 

Milliard County supports a Southern 

Paiute cultural affiliation. In addition, 

consultations with Southern Paiute 

representatives support the 

identification of the two individuals as 

Southern Paiute. Descendants of the 

Southern Paiute are members of the 

Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 

Reservation and Colony, Nevada; San 

Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona; 

Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; 

Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker 

River Reservation, Nevada; and 

Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington 

Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada. 

Officials of Brigham Young 

University, Museum of Peoples and 

Cultures have determined that, pursuant 

to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9–10), the human 

remains described above represent the 

physical remains of two individuals of 

Native American ancestry. Officials of 

Brigham Young University, Museum of 

Peoples and Cultures 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 Native 

American human remains and the 

Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon 

Reservation and Colony, Nevada; San 

Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona; 

Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; 

Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker 

River Reservation, Nevada; and 

Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington 

Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada. 

Representatives of any other Indian 

tribe that believes itself to be culturally 

affiliated with the human remains 

should contact Paul Stavast, Brigham 

Young University, Museum of Peoples 

and Cultures, 105 Allen Hall, Provo, UT 

84602–3600, telephone (801) 422–0020, 

before October 10, 2008. Repatriation of 

the human remains to the PaiuteShoshone Tribe of the Fallon 

Reservation and Colony, Nevada; San 

Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona; 

Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; 

Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker 

River Reservation, Nevada; and 

Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington 

Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada may 

proceed after that date if no additional 

claimants come forward. 

Brigham Young University, Museum 

of Peoples and Cultures is responsible 

for notifying the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe 

of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, 

Nevada; San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe 

of Arizona; Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of 

Nevada; Walker River Paiute Tribe of 

the Walker River Reservation, Nevada; 

and Yerington Paiute Tribe of the 

Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch, 

Nevada that this notice has been 

published. 

Dated: August 26, 2008 

Sherry Hutt, 

Manager, National NAGPRA Program. 

[FR Doc. E8–21008 Filed 9–9–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–S 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Notice of Inventory Completion: 

Michigan Historical Center, Lansing, MI 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Notice is here given in accordance 

with the Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Act 

(NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the 

completion of an inventory of human 

remains in the control of the Michigan 

Historical Center, Lansing, MI. The 

human remains were removed from 

Cheboygan County, MI. 

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 museum, institution, or Federal 

agency that has control of the Native 

American human remains. The National 

Park Service is not responsible for the 

determinations in this notice. 

A detailed assessment of the human 

remains was made by Michigan 

Historical Center professional staff in 

consultation with representatives of the 

Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 

Indians, Michigan. 

In 1992, human remains representing 

a minimum of one individual were 

removed from the Village of Mackinaw 

City in Cheboygan County, MI. The 

human remains were unearthed during 

a water main project on land owned by 

the Village of Mackinaw City, and were 

removed by the Mackinaw City Police. 

Subsequently, archeologists from the 

Michigan Historical Center and physical 

anthropologist Dr. David Barondess, of 

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 

were called to investigate. They 

identified the remaining portion of the 

burial pit in the trench wall, and 

recovered a few additional bones. After 

his analysis was complete, Dr. 

Barondess transferred the bones to the 

Michigan Historical Center at the 

request of the Village. No known 

individual was identified. No associated 

funerary objects are present. 

At an unknown time, but likely in 

1992, human remains representing a 

minimum of one individual were 

removed from the Village of Mackinaw 

City in Cheboygan County, MI, by an 

unidentified employee of the company 

constructing the water main. The 

construction worker gave the human 

remains to a student at Kirtland 

Community College. In early 1993, a 

professor at the college transferred the 

human remains to the Michigan 

Historical Center. No known individual 

was identified. No associated funerary 

objects are present. 

About 30 feet away from the first 

individual’s grave, along the water 

main, was a cache of artifacts of both 

French and Native manufacture dating 

to the late 17th or early 18th century. 

The artifacts are similar to those found 

at French, Odawa, and Huron/ 

Wyandotte sites at the Straits of 

Mackinac during that period. As these 

artifacts were not in direct association 

with the human remains, they are not 

considered to be funerary objects. Other 

than a few modern items and one small 

chert flake, no artifacts from earlier or 

later cultural periods were found in the 

vicinity, despite intensive examination 

by trained archeologists of the utility 

trench spoil dirt. There were no traces 

of coffin hardware or coffin wood, and 

no shroud pins or clothing buttons. For 

these reasons, the human remains most 

likely date to the same period as the 

cache pit, i.e. the late 17th or early 18th 

century. 

Both sets of human remains were 

identified as Native American by Dr. 

Barondess, who stated that their 

condition was consistent with being 

buried ‘‘several hundred years ago.’’ The 

ethnic identification was based on 

morphological attributes of the skulls 

and condition of the teeth. The 


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