Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Investigative Services Branch, Boulder City, NV

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

December 12, 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 the Interior, National Park Service, Investigative Services Branch (ISB) 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.

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 239 (Thursday, December 12, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 239 (Thursday, December 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 100526-100527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29256]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039180; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior,
National Park Service, Investigative Services Branch, Boulder City, NV

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior,
National Park Service, Investigative Services Branch (ISB) 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.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice may occur on or after January 13, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Brian Lake, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Investigative
Services Branch, 1400 Colorado Street, Suite C, Boulder City, NV 89005,
telephone (702) 293-8732, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aac8d8c3cbc4f5c6cbc1cfeac4dad984cdc5dc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9af8e8f3fbf4c5f6fbf1ffdaf4eae9b4fdf5ec">[email&#160;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
Assistant Special Agent in Charge, ISB, and additional information on
the determinations in this notice, including the results of
consultation, can be found in the inventory or related records.

Abstract of Information Available

Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual has been reasonably identified. The two
associated funerary objects are one stone mortar base and one ground
stone pestle. The human remains and associated funerary objects were
removed from Contra Costa County, CA during a federal highway project
in the early 1960s. The remains and cultural items were collected and
removed from the site by a contractor and remained in the contractor's
possession until his death, when they were passed to his descendant. In
2015 they were seized during a criminal investigation by the ISB. After
seizure, the human remains were stored at Joshua Tree National Park
until their transfer in March of 2022 to the curatorial facility at
Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Cultural affiliation was determined
based on anthropological, historical, geographic, and Native American
traditional knowledge. These human remains and cultural items have not
been treated with hazardous substances.

Cultural Affiliation

Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available
about the human remains and associated funerary objects described in
this notice.

Determinations

ISB has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The two 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> There is a reasonable connection between the human remains
and associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Wilton
Rancheria, California.

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the
authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES.
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations identified in this notice and, if joined to a request
from one or more of the Indian Tribes, the North Valley Yokuts Tribe, a
non-federally recognized Indian group.
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.

[[Page 100527]]

Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after January 13, 2025.
If competing requests for repatriation are received, ISB 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. ISB is
responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and
Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.

Dated: December 4, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-29256 Filed 12-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P

</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>

View on FederalRegister.gov →Plain-text source

Indexed from Federal Register on December 12, 2024.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.