Notice2025-04175
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, Phoenix, AZ
Primary source
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Published
March 17, 2025
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, Tonto National Forest intends to carry out the disposition of human remains, associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony 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 90 Issue 50 (Monday, March 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 50 (Monday, March 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12337-12339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04175]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039434; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, Phoenix, AZ
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, Tonto National Forest intends to carry out the disposition of
human remains, associated funerary objects, unassociated funerary
objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony 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 or cultural items in this
notice may occur on or after April 16, 2025. If no claim for
disposition is received by March 17, 2026, the human remains or
cultural items in this notice will become unclaimed human remains or
cultural items.
ADDRESSES: Forest Supervisor Neil Bosworth, Tonto National Forest
Supervisor's Office, 2324 E McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85006, telephone
(602) 469-4981, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86e8e3efeaa8e4e9f5f1e9f4f2eec6f3f5e2e7a8e1e9f0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4e202b2722602c213d39213c3a260e3b3d2a2f60292138">[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
[[Page 12338]]
sole responsibility of the Tonto National Forest, and additional
information on the human remains or 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 have been reasonably identified. The 10
associated funerary objects include flaked stone, ceramic sherds,
beads, shells, and one lot of sherds representing one plain ware
ceramic vessel. This inhumation burial and associated funerary objects
were recovered in February 2024 from an eroding arroyo side wall within
archaeological site AR-03-12-02-3211 in Apache Canyon, Gila County,
Arizona.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, seven individuals have been reasonably identified. The 35
associated funerary objects include a basalt knife, a pollen sample,
and lots of ceramic sherds, flaked stone, ground stone, and faunal
bone. The 43 unassociated funerary objects include a ceramic figurine,
a projectile point, pollen samples, and lots of ceramic sherds, flaked
stone, shell, and faunal bone. Remains of five individuals, not
recognized at the time, and all enumerated funerary objects were
removed in June 1998 during test excavations of archaeological site AR-
03-12-04-1332 in Star Valley, Gila County, Arizona prior to a planned
land exchange that did not end up taking place. The other two
individuals, who were also not recognized at the time, were removed
sometime from May 2001 to March 2002 from archaeological site AR-03-12-
04-1449 near Thompson Draw in Gila County, Arizona during test
excavations prior to another nearby land exchange. In July 2015 and
October 2016, during verification of faunal collections housed at
Arizona State Museum, remains consistent with human remains were
identified from these two archaeological sites.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, 14 individuals have been reasonably identified. The 57
associated funerary objects include ceramic bowls, a ceramic jar, other
ceramic vessels, a shell bead, a bone pendant, stone projectile points,
flotation samples, soil samples, and lots of ceramic sherds, flaked
stone, ground stone fragments, and faunal bone. The 18 unassociated
funerary objects are one turquoise pendant, one shell, two faunal
bones, six lots of ceramic sherds, three lots of flaked stone, three
lots of shell beads, one lot of ground stone, and one lot of seeds.
These individuals and funerary objects were recovered in July 1991 from
precontact habitation site AR-03-12-06-595 (also known as AR-03-12-06-
298) in Punkin Center, Gila County, Arizona and were transferred to
Arizona State Museum in 1993.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, 15 individuals have been reasonably identified. The nine
associated funerary objects include a plain ware ceramic jar, a red
ware ceramic bowl, another small ceramic bowl, four fragmentary
portions of plain ware and red ware ceramic vessels including one jar
and three bowls, and two pieces of hematite. From 1993 to 1995, Arizona
State University's (ASU) Office of Cultural Resource Management
excavated archaeological sites AR-03-12-04-307, AR-03-12-04-1067, AR-
03-12-04-1068, AR-03-12-04-1069, AR-03-12-04-1101, AR-03-12-04-1209,
and AR-03-12-04-1210 near Payson, Gila County, Arizona prior to a land
exchange. Human remains and funerary items were located and removed
during these excavations and are housed at ASU's Center for Archaeology
and Society Repository.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, 31 individuals have been reasonably identified. The 21
associated funerary objects are one mano, a broken miniature ceramic
vessel, six whole ceramic vessels of plain ware and red ware varieties,
one broken ceramic vessel, three lot of ceramic sherds, a bone awl
fragment, a piece of worked bone, a turquoise pendant, a stone bead, a
retouched and utilized flake tool, a tabular knife, a ground stone
fragment, a projectile point fragment, and one lot of shell fragments.
From 1992 to 1993, Arizona State University's (ASU) Office of Cultural
Resource Management excavated archaeological sites AR-03-12-06-1370,
AR-03-12-06-1887, AR-03-12-06-1893, AR-03-12-06-1895, AR-03-12-06-1911,
and AR-03-12-06-1915 in Tonto Basin, Gila County, Arizona prior to a
land exchange. Human remains and funerary items were located and
removed during these excavations and are housed at ASU's Center for
Archaeology and Society Repository.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, two individuals have been reasonably identified. The 23
associated funerary objects are one complete ceramic vessel, nine
partially reconstructible ceramic vessels, five lots of ceramic sherds,
four projectile points, one piece of quartz, one turquoise pendant, one
shell fragment, and one lot of beads. These inhumation burials and
associated funerary objects were recovered in December 2022 from
archaeological site AR-03-12-06-219 near Roosevelt Lake in Gila County,
Arizona after an inadvertent discovery by campers.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. These human remains had been placed on
and were also actively eroding from a trench that had been opened
during a previous archaeological investigation but never backfilled.
These human remains were recovered in October 2023 from archaeological
site AR-03-12-06-811 near Tonto Basin in Gila County, Arizona.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. This inhumation burial was exposed by
erosion in a recreation area within archaeological site AR-03-12-04-
2904 near Flowing Springs, Gila County, Arizona. This burial was
partially recovered by the Gila County Sherriff's Office in September
2022. TNF Heritage staff recovered the remainder of the burial in
October 2022.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. This individual was recovered in December
2021 from archaeological site AR-03-12-01-55 on Perry Mesa in Yavapai
County, Arizona after an inadvertent discovery by a hiker.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, four individuals have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. The six sacred objects/objects of
cultural patrimony are six bone whistles or flutes. These human remains
and sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony were recovered in May
and June 2021 from suspects' homes and vandalized archaeological site
AR-03-12-01-594 in Yavapai County, Arizona during an Archaeological
Resources Protection Act (ARPA) investigation.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified. The 23
associated funerary objects are two complete ceramic vessels, one small
ceramic pinch pot, two ceramic sherds with drill holes, two ceramic
handle fragments, two ceramic
[[Page 12339]]
scoops, one ground stone slab, two fragments of faunal bone (likely
avian), one \3/4\ grooved axe fragment, one awl, one stone, six lots of
flaked stone, one lot of basketry fragments, and one lot of corncobs.
This individual and associated funerary objects were removed on an
unknown date from an unknown archaeological site or sites in the Tonto
National Forest and potentially other land jurisdictions. A note with
the axe suggests it was removed from an archaeological site northwest
of Payson, Gila County, Arizona. Due to uncertainty about the location
or locations of removal of other objects, all objects with the human
remains are considered to be associated funerary objects.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, two individuals have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. One of the two individuals was removed
from an unknown archaeological site near Roosevelt Lake in Gila County,
Arizona in or around 1995. This individual was confiscated by the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from a vandalism suspect during an
Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) investigation in the
1990s. The other individual is comprised of a cremation that was
removed from an unknown archaeological site on an unknown date,
potentially from the Mills Ridge area west of Roosevelt Lake in Gila
County, Arizona.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. This individual is represented by one
permanent right maxillary tooth believed to have come from a child less
than nine years of age. This tooth was located during a recent
inventory of a secure storage area at the Tonto National Forest
Supervisors Office. The date and location of removal are unknown, but
it is presumed that removal occurred from within the Tonto National
Forest.
Determinations
The Tonto National Forest has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 81 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 178 associated funerary objects and lots of 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 61 unassociated funerary objects and lots of objects
described in this notice are reasonably believed to have been placed
intentionally with or near human remains, and are connected, either at
the time of death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a
Native American culture according to the Native American traditional
knowledge of a lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian
organization. The unassociated funerary objects have been identified by
a preponderance of the evidence as related to human remains, specific
individuals, or families, or removed from a specific burial site or
burial area of an individual or individuals with cultural affiliation
to an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
<bullet> The six sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony
described in this notice are, according to the Native American
traditional knowledge of an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization, specific ceremonial objects needed by a traditional
Native American religious leader for present-day adherents to practice
traditional Native American religion, and have ongoing historical,
traditional, or cultural importance central to the Native American
group, including any constituent sub-group (such as a band, clan,
lineage, ceremonial society, or other subdivision).
<bullet> The Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community
of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of Arizona;
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River
Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; and the Zuni
Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico have priority for disposition
of the human remains or cultural item described in this notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains or 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 March 17, 2026, the human remains or cultural items in
this notice will become unclaimed human remains or 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 or cultural items in this notice
may occur on or after April 16, 2025. If competing claims for
disposition are received, the Tonto National Forest 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 Tonto National Forest 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: January 28, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-04175 Filed 3-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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