Notice2024-21540
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest, Cleveland, TN
Primary source
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Published
September 20, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest intends to carry out the disposition of human remains and associated funerary objects removed from Federal or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization with priority for disposition in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77190-77191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21540]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038737; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Service, Cherokee National Forest, Cleveland, TN
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 Agriculture Forest
Service, Cherokee National Forest intends to carry out the disposition
of human remains and associated funerary objects removed from Federal
or Tribal lands to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribe, or Native
Hawaiian organization with priority for disposition in this notice.
DATES: Disposition of the human remains and cultural items in this
notice may occur on or after October 21, 2024. If no claim for
disposition is received by September 22, 2025, the human remains and
cultural items in this notice will become unclaimed human remains or
cultural items.
ADDRESSES: Dr. Danielle Shelton, Heritage Program Manager, USDA Forest
Service, Cherokee National Forest, 2800 Ocoee Street North, Cleveland,
TN 37312, telephone (423) 582-6059, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4d7d0c1d4ccc5cacdc18ad7ccc1c8d0cbcae4d1d7c0c58ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d7a4a3b2a7bfb6b9beb2f9a4bfb2bba3b8b997a2a4b3b6f9b0b8a1">[email protected]</span></a>.
[[Page 77191]]
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
Cherokee National Forest, and additional information on the human
remains and cultural items in this notice, including the results of
consultation, can be found in the related records. The National Park
Service is not responsible for the identifications in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual has been reasonably identified. The 2,036
associated funerary objects are beads, pottery, faunal remains,
botanical remains, charcoal, soil, floatation materials, and
unidentified materials. Lake Hole Burial Cave (40JN159), located in
Johnson County, Tennessee, was the site of protohistoric Cherokee cave
burials, dated between 1550-1650 CE, that were discovered and looted by
grave robbers in the spring of 1990. Nine men were prosecuted under the
Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and a minimum number of
100 individuals were recovered. Afterwards the Cherokee National Forest
installed a locked gate on the cave entrance, but on October 16, 2006,
two men entered the cave illegally and disturbed two more individual
burials. Although the human remains from Lake Hole Burial Cave were
repatriated in 2009, there are two teeth and one small bone that were
overlooked during repatriation, as well as the associated funerary
objects.
Determinations
The Cherokee National Forest has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 2,036 objects described in this notice are reasonably
believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual
human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite
or ceremony.
<bullet> The Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and
the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma have priority
for disposition of the human remains and cultural item described in
this notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains and cultural
items in this notice must be sent to the appropriate official
identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. If no claim for disposition
is received by September 22, 2025, the human remains and cultural items
in this notice will become unclaimed human remains and cultural items.
Claims for disposition may be submitted by:
1. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization 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 they have priority for disposition.
Disposition of the human remains and cultural items in this notice
may occur on or after October 21, 2024. If competing claims for
disposition are received, the Forest Service must determine the most
appropriate claimant prior to disposition. Requests for joint
disposition of the human remains or cultural items are considered a
single request and not competing requests. The Forest Service is
responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the lineal
descendants, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice and to any other consulting parties.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3002, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.7.
Dated: September 12, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-21540 Filed 9-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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