32186 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 7, 2009 / Notices 

Investigation and were received by the 

Arizona State Museum later that same 

year. No known individuals were 

identified. The one associated funerary 

object is a textile fragment. 

Museum records lack sufficient 

information to culturally affiliate the 

human remains with any specific tribe. 

However, examination by a forensic 

anthropologist indicates that the human 

remains are of Native American 

ancestry, and possibly date to the 

Historic Period. 

Officials of the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs and Arizona State Museum have 

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

3001 (9–10), the human remains 

described above represent the physical 

remains of four individuals of Native 

American ancestry. Officials of the 

Bureau of Indian Affairs and Arizona 

State Museum also have determined 

that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), 

the one object described above is 

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 Bureau of Indian Affairs 

and Arizona State Museum 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 associated funerary object 

and any present-day Indian tribe. 

The Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Review 

Committee (Review Committee) is 

responsible for recommending specific 

actions for disposition of culturally 

unidentifiable human remains. In 2008, 

the Bureau of Indian Affairs and 

Arizona State Museum requested that 

the Review Committee recommend 

disposition of the culturally 

unidentifiable human remains to the 

Gila River Indian Community of the Gila 

River Indian Reservation, Arizona, as 

the aboriginal and historic occupants of 

the lands near St. Johns Church in 

Maricopa County, AZ. The Review 

Committee considered the request at its 

October 11–12, 2008 meeting and 

recommended disposition of the human 

remains to the Gila River Indian 

Community of the Gila River Indian 

Reservation, Arizona. An April 3, 2009 

letter from the Designated Federal 

Official on behalf of the Secretary of the 

Interior transmitted the authorization 

for the museum to effect disposition of 

the human remains of the four 

culturally unidentifiable individuals to 

the Gila River Indian Community of the 

Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona 

contingent on the publication of a 

Notice of Inventory Completion in the 

Federal Register. This notice fulfills 

that requirement. In the same letter, the 

Secretary recommended the transfer of 

the associated funerary object to the Gila 

River Indian Community of the Gila 

River Indian Reservation, Arizona, to 

the extent allowed by Federal, state, or 

local law. 

Representatives of any other Indian 

tribe that believes itself to be culturally 

affiliated with the human remains and/ 

or associated funerary object should 

contact John McClelland, NAGPRA 

Coordinator, Arizona State Museum, 

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 

85721, telephone (520) 626–2950, before 

July 7, 2009. Disposition of the human 

remains and associated funerary object 

to the Gila River Indian Community of 

the Gila River Indian Reservation, 

Arizona may proceed after that date if 

no additional claimants come forward. 

The Arizona State Museum is 

responsible for notifying the Ak Chin 

Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak 

Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona; Gila 

River Indian Community of the Gila 

River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt 

River Pima-Maricopa Indian 

Community of the Salt River 

Reservation, Arizona; and Tohono 

O’odham Nation of Arizona that this 

notice has been published. 

Dated: May 29, 2009 

Sherry Hutt, 

Manager, National NAGPRA Program. 

[FR Doc. E9–16025 Filed 7–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–S 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Tongass National Forest, 

Chatham Area, Juneau, AK 

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 and associated funerary objects 

in the possession of the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tongass 

National Forest, Chatham Area, Juneau, 

AK. The human remains and associated 

funerary objects were removed from 

sites near Yakutat, Southeast Alaska. 

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 and 

associated funerary objects. The 

National Park Service is not responsible 

for the determinations in this notice. 

A detailed assessment of the human 

remains was made by U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service 

professional staff in consultation with 

representatives of the Central Council of 

the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes; 

Sealaska Corporation; Sealaska Heritage 

Foundation; Yak-Tat Kwaan, 

Incorporated; and Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. 

In 1988, human remains representing 

a minimum of five individuals were 

removed from Shallow Water Town 

near Yakutat, AK, during an excavation 

by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service (49 YAK 020). The 

excavation was part of a mitigation plan 

for the anticipated flooding which was 

to occur with the blocking of Russell 

Fjord by the Hubbard Glacier. Blockage 

of the Fjord was anticipated to force the 

Situk River to flood the valley bottom 

and wash out the site. No known 

individuals were identified. The six 

associated funerary objects are one bone 

button fragment and a minimum of five 

melted blue glass beads. 

The human remains represent five 

separate cremations, and are assumed to 

be five separate individuals. The 

individuals are reasonably believed to 

be Yakutat Tlingit because the area is 

the traditional territory of the Teqwedi, 

specifically the Bear House Clan. Oral 

traditions of the Yakutat Tlingit confirm 

their affiliation with this site. 

Descendants of the Yakutat Tlingit are 

members of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. A 

charcoal sample associated with 

Cremation 1 was radiocarbon dated to 

250 60 BP, which yields a corrected date 

of A.D. 1480 to 1955. The carbon date 

for Cremation 5 of 270 70 BP yields a 

corrected date of A.D. 1450 to 1955. 

In 1988, human remains representing 

a minimum of one individual were 

removed from Diyaguna’Et near Yakutat, 

AK, by the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service (49 YAK 

019). The excavation was part of a 

mitigation plan for the anticipated 

flooding which was to occur with the 

blocking of Russell Fjord by the 

Hubbard Glacier. Blockage of the Fjord 

was anticipated to force the Situk River 

to flood the valley bottom and wash out 

the site. No known individual was 

identified. The four associated funerary 

objects are one white glass bead, one 

rolled copper earring, and two rolled 

copper earrings entwined by black 

human hair. 

The human remains were determined 

to be Native American based on 

observable dental traits. The individual 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 7, 2009 / Notices 32187 

is reasonably believed to be Yakutat 

Tlingit, as the area is the traditional 

territory of the Teqwedi, specifically the 

Bear House Clan. Oral traditions of the 

Yakutat Tlingit confirm their affiliation 

with this site. Descendants of the 

Yakutat Tlingit are members of the 

Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. Charcoal samples 

taken from above and below the skeletal 

remains were dated and determined to 

be 130 50 BP (calibrated to A.D. 1650 to 

1950) and 380 100 BP (calibrated to A.D. 

1329 to 1955). 

Officials of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service have 

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

3001 (9–10), the human remains 

described above represent the physical 

remains of six individuals of Native 

American ancestry. Officials of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service also have determined that, 

pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 10 

objects 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. Lastly, officials of the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service 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 associated funerary objects and the 

Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. 

Representatives of any other Indian 

tribe that believes itself to be culturally 

affiliated with the human remains and 

associated funerary objects should 

contact Forrest Cole, Forest Supervisor, 

Tongass National Forest, Federal 

Building, Ketchikan, AK 99901–6591, 

telephone (907) 225–6200, before 

August 6, 2009. Repatriation of the 

human remains and associated funerary 

objects to the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe may 

proceed after that date if no additional 

claimants come forward. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service is responsible for 

notifying the Central Council of Tlingit 

& Haida Indian Tribes; Sealaska 

Corporation; Sealaska Heritage 

Foundation; Yak-Tat Kwaan, 

Incorporated; and Yakutat Tlingit Tribe 

that this notice has been published. 

Dated: June 15, 2009 

Sherry Hutt, 

Manager, National NAGPRA Program. 

[FR Doc. E9–16024 Filed 7–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–S 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Notice of Inventory Completion: 

Thomas Burke Memorial Washington 

State Museum, University of 

Washington, Seattle, 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. 3003, of the 

completion of an inventory of human 

remains in the possession of the Thomas 

Burke Memorial Washington State 

Museum (Burke Museum), University of 

Washington, Seattle, WA. The human 

remains were most likely removed from 

Vancouver, Clark 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 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 Burke Museum 

professional staff in consultation with 

representatives of the Confederated 

Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, 

Washington; Confederated Tribes of the 

Chehalis Reservation, Washington; 

Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde 

Community of Oregon; Confederated 

Tribes of the Siletz Reservation, Oregon; 

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 

Indian Reservation, Oregon; 

Confederated Tribes of the Warm 

Springs Reservation of Oregon; Cowlitz 

Indian Tribe, Washington; Muckleshoot 

Indian Tribe of the Muckleshoot Indian 

Reservation, Washington; Nisqually 

Indian Tribe of the Nisqually 

Reservation, Washington; Snoqualmie 

Tribe, Washington; Spokane Tribe of the 

Spokane Reservation, Washington; 

Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington, and 

three non-Federally recognized Indian 

groups - Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated 

Tribes, Snoqualmoo Tribe, and 

Wanapum Band. 

At an unknown date before 1962, 

human remains representing a 

minimum of one individual were 

removed from an unknown site in the 

city of Vancouver within Clark County, 

WA. No known individual was 

identified. No associated funerary 

objects are present. 

These human remains were 

previously considered culturally 

unidentifiable, but after further review 

by a University of Washington physical 

anthropologist, the human remains have 

been determined to be Native American. 

There are only two fragments of the 

cranium present; however, they exhibit 

morphological evidence consistent with 

Native American morphology, such as 

the presence of wormian bones and a 

thick cranial vault, as well as cranial 

deformity. 

Early and late published ethnographic 

documentation indicates that 

Vancouver, WA, was within the 

aboriginal territory of the Watlala, 

Multnomah, Clackamas, Toppenish, and 

Wasco (Hale 1841, Silverstein 1998, 

Spier 1936, Mooney 1896) whose 

descendents are represented today by 

the Confederated Tribes and Bands of 

the Yakama Nation, Washington; 

Confederated Tribes of the Warm 

Springs Reservation of Oregon; and 

Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde 

Community of Oregon. During the treaty 

period, the Clackamas were removed to 

the Grand Ronde Reservation. 

Vancouver falls outside of the lands 

described in the Indian Land Areas 

Judicially Established 1978; however, 

the tribes with judicially established 

Indian land areas in close proximity of 

Vancouver include the Upper Chehalis 

to the north, the Cowlitz to the 

northeast, the Warm Springs to the 

south, and the Yakama to the west. The 

core territory of the Cowlitz Indian 

Tribe, Washington is to the north of 

Vancouver, but aboriginally the Cowlitz 

utilized resources and visited the 

Vancouver area. During the treaty 

period, the Cowlitz were removed to the 

Chehalis Reservation, Yakama 

Reservation, and Quinault Reservation. 

In 2000, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, 

Washington was independently 

Federally-recognized. 

From 1824 until 1860, the Hudson’s 

Bay Company operated a trading post at 

Fort Vancouver. This post brought 

together diverse communities through 

trade including over 23 tribes. 

Specifically, in addition to the four 

above-mentioned tribes, the 

Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis 

Reservation, Washington; Confederated 

Tribes of the Siletz Reservation, Oregon; 

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla 

Indian Reservation, Oregon; 

Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of the 

Muckleshoot Indian Reservation, 

Washington; Nisqually Indian Tribe of 

the Nisqually Reservation, Washington; 

Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington; 

Spokane Tribe of the Spokane 

Reservation, Washington; Stillaguamish 

Tribe of Washington, and the following 

non-Federally recognized Indian groups: 

the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated