[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58427-58428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23902]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Inventory Completion: Office of the State 
Archaeologist, Lansing, MI

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. 3003, of the 
completion of an inventory of human remains in the possession of the 
Office of the State Archaeologist (formerly the Michigan Historical 
Center), Lansing, MI. The human remains were removed from the vicinity 
of Scott Point, Mackinac 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) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). 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 the Michigan 
Office of the
    State Archaeologist professional staff in consultation with 
representatives of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; 
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the 
Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin; Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; 
Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana; Citizen 
Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Fond du Lac 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Forest County 
Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa 
Indians, Michigan; Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; Keweenaw Bay 
Indian Community, Michigan; Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo 
Reservation in Kansas; Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma; Kickapoo Traditional 
Tribe of Texas; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians, Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux 
Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Leech Lake 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Little River Band of 
Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of 
Michigan; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, 
Michigan (formerly the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.); Ottawa Tribe of 
Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Pokagon Band of 
Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; Prairie Band of Potawatomi 
Nation, Kansas; Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, 
California and Arizona; Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota; 
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of 
Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Shawnee Tribe, Oklahoma; Sokaogon 
Chippewa Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; 
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota; White Earth 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Wyandotte Nation, 
Oklahoma; and the Scott Point Tribe of American Aboriginals, a non-
federally recognized Indian group. Consultation included all tribes 
whose aboriginal lands once included Mackinac County, MI, as identified 
in the ``Present-Day Tribes Associated with Indian Land Cessions 1784-
1894'' database on the National Park Service's National NAGPRA website.
    In 1993, human remains representing a minimum of three individuals 
were removed from the surface of 20MK450, Mackinac County, MI, by Marla 
Buckmaster, professor of anthropology at Northern Michigan University, 
to curtail the damage being caused to them. The bones were reported to 
Dr. Buckmaster after they were exposed by erosion resulting from off-
road vehicle use that resulted in the bones being visible on the 
surface. After removal, Dr. Buckmaster reported the matter to local 
police and then transferred the remains to the Office of the State 
Archaeologist. Examination of plat books and consultation with the 
Department of Natural Resources Office of Land and Facilities yielded a 
determination that

[[Page 58428]]

the Native American human remains were found on land owned by the 
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    The bones were examined by physical anthropologist David Barondess 
of Michigan State University, but the condition of the bones did not 
allow for a definitive identification of ethnicity. However, the burial 
practices, great age of the bones suggested by their condition, and 
lack of either coffin hardware or historic-era clothing all suggest a 
pre-contact period date and Native American identity for these 
individuals. It is possible, but not certain, that the burials may be 
related to the nearby Scott Point site (20MK22), which was occupied at 
various times over the past 2,000 years by a number of Woodland period 
cultural groups.
    Officials of the Office of the State Archaeologist have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared group 
identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American human 
remains and any present-day Indian tribe.
    The Office of the State Archaeologist had been in informal 
consultation with the Scott Point Tribe of American Aboriginals, a non-
federally recognized Indian group, concerning the human remains from 
20MK450. Members of this group are enrolled with the federally-
recognized Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The Sault Ste. 
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, working closely with the Scott Point 
Tribe of American Aboriginals on this matter, entered into consultation 
with the Office of the State Archaeologist. On March 31, 2010, the 
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians formally requested 
disposition of the human remains. Letters supporting disposition to the 
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians were received from the Bay 
Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians (Ketegitigaaning Ojibwe Nation), Michigan; 
Leech Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Little 
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan; and the Peoria Tribe of 
Indians of Oklahoma. The Delaware Nation determined that site 20MK450 
was not within their area of interest. No letters were received in 
opposition to the proposed disposition, and no letters were received 
citing any other concerns. Therefore, officials of the Office of the 
State Archaeologist have offered the disposition of the human remains 
from site 20MK450 to the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of 
Michigan, as an aboriginal land tribe.
    Officials of the Office of the State Archaeologist have determined 
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described above 
represent the physical remains of three individuals of Native American 
ancestry. Lastly, officials of the Office of the State Archaeologist 
have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition 
of the Native American human remains is to the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe 
of Chippewa Indians of Michigan.
    Representatives of any Indian tribe that believes itself to be 
culturally affiliated with the human remains or any other Indian tribe 
that believes it satisfies the criteria in 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1) should 
contact Barbara Mead, Office of the State Archaeologist, P.O. Box 
30740, 702 West Kalamazoo St., Lansing, MI 48909-8240, telephone (517) 
373-6416, before October 25, 2010. Disposition of the human remains to 
the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan may proceed 
after that date if no additional requestors come forward.
    The Office of the State Archaeologist is responsible for notifying 
the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Bad River Band of 
the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River 
Reservation, Wisconsin; Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan; Bois 
Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana; Citizen 
Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Fond du Lac 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Forest County 
Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa 
Indians, Michigan; Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan; Keweenaw Bay 
Indian Community, Michigan; Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo 
Reservation in Kansas; Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma; Kickapoo Traditional 
Tribe of Texas; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians, Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 
Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Lac Vieux 
Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Leech Lake 
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Little River Band of 
Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, 
Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of 
Michigan; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota 
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, 
Michigan; Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of 
Oklahoma; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; 
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, Kansas; Quechan Tribe of the Fort 
Yuma Indian Reservation, California and Arizona; Red Cliff Band of Lake 
Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa 
Indians, Minnesota; Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Sault 
Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Shawnee Tribe, 
Oklahoma; Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa 
Indians of Wisconsin; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North 
Dakota; White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; 
Wyandotte Nation, Oklahoma; and the Scott Point Tribe of American 
Aboriginals, a non-federally recognized Indian group, that this notice 
has been published.

    Dated: September 10, 2010
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2010-23902 Filed 9-23-10; 8:45 am]
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