Notice2023-19963
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, NM
Primary source
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Published
September 15, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Cameron County, TX.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 63607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19963]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0036560; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Fish and Wildlife Service, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, NM
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has completed an inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there
is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated
funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in
this notice. The human remains and associated funerary objects were
removed from Cameron County, TX.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice may occur on or after October 16, 2023.
ADDRESSES: George MacDonell, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Southwest
Region, 500 Gold Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, telephone (505) 312-
3683, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#583f3d372a3f3d0735393b3c37363d3434183e2f2b763f372e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dcbbb9b3aebbb983b1bdbfb8b3b2b9b0b09cbaabaff2bbb3aa">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA.
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the
USFWS. The National Park Service is not responsible for the
determinations in this notice. Additional information on the
determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation,
can be found in the inventory or related records held by the USFWS.
Description
Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed
from the Unland Site (41CF111) at Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge, in
Cameron County, TX. On or around August 10, 1976, human remains
belonging to three individuals were uncovered during construction.
Sometime prior to November 16, 1990, the remains of these individuals
were transferred to an unrecorded Indian Tribe and were reburied.
However, fragmentary human remains that had been transferred to the
Texas Historical Commission still remained in their custody. On March
12, 2001, a long bone fragment belonging to one of the reburied
individuals and several associated funerary objects were found at the
Texas Historical Commission. The five associated funerary objects are
three lots consisting of organic burial matrixes; one turtle shell; and
one lot consisting of clay balls.
Cultural Affiliation
The human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice
are connected to one or more identifiable earlier groups, tribes,
peoples, or cultures. There is a relationship of shared group identity
between the identifiable earlier groups, tribes, peoples, or cultures
and one or more Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. The
following types of information were used to reasonably trace the
relationship: oral traditional.
Determinations
Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian
organizations, the USFWS has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The five objects described in this notice 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.
<bullet> There is a relationship of shared group identity that can
be reasonably traced between the human remains and associated funerary
objects described in this notice and the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the
Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the
Responsible Official identified in ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation
may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal
descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization.
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after October 16, 2023.
If competing requests for repatriation are received, the USFWS must
determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation.
Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated
funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing
requests. The USFWS is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to
the Indian Tribe identified in this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9, 10.10,
and 10.14.
Dated: September 8, 2023.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-19963 Filed 9-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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