Notice2021-24313
Notice of Inventory Completion: Boston University, Boston, MA
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 8, 2021
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
Boston University has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written request to Boston University. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the non-Federally recognized Indian group stated in this notice may proceed.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 213 (Monday, November 8, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 213 (Monday, November 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61785-61786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24313]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0032968; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Boston University, Boston, MA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Boston University has completed an inventory of human remains,
in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation
between the human remains and any present-day Indian Tribes or Native
Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to
request transfer of control of these human remains should submit a
written request to Boston University. If no additional requestors come
forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the non-Federally
recognized Indian group stated in this notice may proceed.
DATES: Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request
transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written
request with information in support of the request to Boston University
at the address in this notice by December 8, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathryn M. Mellouk, Associate Vice
President for Research Compliance, Boston University, One Silber Way,
9th floor, Boston, MA 02215, telephone (617) 358-4730, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#026963766771696b4260772c676677"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="452e243120362e2c0527306b202130">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 under
the control of Boston University, Boston, MA. The human remains were
removed from Grafton, Worcester County, MA, and from an unknown
geographic location.
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 10.9(e). 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.
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Boston
University professional staff in consultation with representatives of
the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe [previously listed as Mashantucket
Pequot Tribe of Connecticut]; Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe [previously
listed as Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.]; Mohegan Tribe
of Indians of Connecticut [previously listed as Mohegan Indian Tribe of
Connecticut]; Narragansett Indian Tribe; Seminole Tribe of Florida
[previously listed as Seminole Tribe of Florida (Dania, Big Cypress,
Brighton, Hollywood, & Tampa Reservations)]; Stockbridge Munsee
Community, Wisconsin; Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah); and the
Nipmuc Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian
group recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. An invitation to
consult was extended to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians and The
Seminole Nation of Oklahoma but they did not participate. Hereafter,
all the Indian Tribes and the non-federally recognized Indian group
listed in this section are referred to as ``The Consulted and Notified
Tribes and Group.''
History and Description of the Remains
On an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one
individual were removed from Grafton, Worcester County, MA. In the
spring of 2019, the human remains were found in a Boston University
Archaeology Program collections storage area. No known individual was
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. At the time of
the excavation and removal of these human remains, the land from which
the human remains were removed was not the tribal land of any Indian
Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. Boston University consulted with
all Indian Tribes who are recognized as aboriginal to the area from
which these Native American human remains were removed. These Tribes
are the Mashantucket Pequot
[[Page 61786]]
Indian Tribe [previously listed as Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of
Connecticut]; Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe [previously listed as Mashpee
Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.]; Mohegan Tribe of Indians of
Connecticut [previously listed as Mohegan Indian Tribe of Connecticut];
Narragansett Indian Tribe; Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; and
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) (hereafter listed as ``The
Aboriginal Land Tribes''). None of The Aboriginal Land Tribes agreed to
accept control of the human remains.
On an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one
individual were removed from an unknown geographic location by an
unknown individual. In January of 2020, the human remains, which had
been housed in the University's Archaeology Program teaching facility
lab, were identified as Native American. No known individual was
identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Based on the
available information, the land from which these human remains were
removed is not the ``tribal land'' of an Indian Tribe or a Native
Hawaiian organization, or the ``aboriginal land'' of an Indian Tribe
pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11.
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3006(c)(5) and 43 CFR 10.10(g)(2)(ii),
10.11(c)(2)(ii)(A), and 10.16(a), the Native American Graves Protection
and Repatriation Review Committee (Review Committee) may make a
recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) for
specific actions for disposition of these human remains and associated
funerary objects, including transfer of control to a non-federally
recognized Indian group. In June 2021, Boston University requested that
the Review Committee consider a proposal to transfer control of the
human remains described in this notice to the Nipmuc Nation,
Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group recognized
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Review Committee carefully
considered this request at its July 13, 2021 meeting and recommended to
the Secretary that the proposed transfer of control proceed. An October
19, 2021 letter transmitted the Secretary's independent review and
concurrence with the Review Committee that:
<bullet> Boston University consulted with every appropriate Indian
Tribe,
<bullet> none of The Aboriginal Land Tribes agreed to accept
control of the human remains from Grafton, Worcester County, MA,
<bullet> none of The Aboriginal Land Tribes objected to the
proposed transfer of control to the Nipmuc Nation, Hassanamisco Band,
and
<bullet> Boston University may proceed with the agreed-upon
transfer of control of the human remains to the Nipmuc Nation,
Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group recognized
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Transfer of control is contingent on the publication of a Notice of
Inventory Completion in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that
requirement.
Determinations Made by Boston University
Officials of Boston University have determined that:
<bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice are Native American based on biological evidence.
<bullet> Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3003(e), the human remains described
in this notice represent the physical remains of two individuals of
Native American ancestry.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11, the one individual removed from
Grafton, Worcester County, MA, was removed from the ``aboriginal land''
of Indian Tribes, but none of those Indian Tribes agreed to accept
control of the human remains, and none of those Indian Tribes objected
to the proposed transfer of control of the human remains to the Nipmuc
Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group.
<bullet> Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11, the one individual removed from
an unknown location was not removed from the ``tribal land'' of any
Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization, or the ``aboriginal land
of any Indian Tribe.
<bullet> Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.10(g)(2)(ii), 10.11(c)(2)(ii), and
10.16, the disposition of the human remains will be to the Nipmuc
Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized Indian group
recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Additional Requestors and Disposition
Representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization
not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control
of these human remains should submit a written request with information
in support of the request to Kathryn M. Mellouk, Associate Vice
President for Research Compliance, Boston University, One Silber Way,
9th floor, Boston, MA 02215, telephone (617) 358-4730, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5e353f2a3b2d35371e3c2b703b3a2b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="91faf0e5f4e2faf8d1f3e4bff4f5e4">[email protected]</span></a>, by December 8, 2021. After that date, if no additional
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains
to the Nipmuc Nation, Hassanamisco Band, a non-federally recognized
Indian group recognized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, may
proceed.
Boston University is responsible for notifying The Consulted and
Notified Tribes and Group, that this notice has been published.
Dated: October 29, 2021.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-24313 Filed 11-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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