Notice2025-04376
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM
Primary source
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Published
March 18, 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, Gila National Forest (GNF) 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 90 Issue 51 (Tuesday, March 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 51 (Tuesday, March 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12551-12552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04376]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039488; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, 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 Agriculture, Forest
Service, Gila National Forest (GNF) 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 associated funerary objects
in this notice may occur on or after April 17, 2025. If no claim for
disposition is received by March 18, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects.
ADDRESSES: Camille Howes, GNF Forest Supervisor, 3005 Camino del
Bosque, Silver City, NM 88061, telephone (575) 937-4878, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e1a2808c888d8d84cfa98e968492a194928580cf868e97"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6b280a060207070e4523041c0e182b1e180f0a450c041d">[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
GNF, and additional information on the human remains and associated
funerary objects 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 seven
associated funerary objects are one San Francisco Redware, three Alma
Plain Wares, two Corrugated wares, and one Black-on-White ware ceramic
sherds. AR-03-06-04-01032 is a rock shelter with pueblo occupation
located within the GNF, Glenwood Ranger District, within Grant County,
New Mexico. June 2015, animal burrowing within and outside of the rock
shelter uncovered human remains, which were then unknowingly taken home
by recreationalists. Upon further review, the bones were recognized as
human, resulting in field investigations by New Mexico State Police
(NMSP) and the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI). Once the OMI
field deputy identified the archaeological site, everything collected
was turned over to GNF archaeologists.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. AR-03-06-05-00022 is a Classic Mimbres
site located within the GNF, Wilderness Ranger District, within Catron
County, New Mexico. The site is the location of an on-going authorized
excavation, with a developed Plan of Action (and research design) that
started in 2015 and continues thru 2025. All human remains are to be
left in-situ during the excavations. Highly fragmented human
[[Page 12552]]
remains were identified in several faunal bags on February 27, 2017.
This individual was recovered during the June 10-July 1, 2015
excavations.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, 69 individuals have been reasonably identified. The 11 lots of
associated funerary objects (representing approximately 121 associated
funerary objects) are one lot of approximately 29 complete ceramic
vessels, one lot of approximately seven bags of ceramic sherds, one lot
of approximately seven bags of lithics, one lot of approximately four
ground stone, one lot of approximately three bags of quartz crystals,
one lot of approximately one bag of ochre, one lot of approximately 10
bags of faunal material, one lot of approximately three bags of beads,
one lot of approximately two clay/stone balls, one lot of approximately
one bag of shell, and one lot of approximately one pendant. AR-03-06-
05-00538 is a Classic Mimbres site located within the GNF, Wilderness
Ranger District, within Grant County, New Mexico. The site was the
location of an authorized excavation, with a developed Plan of Action
(and research design) that started in 2015 and ended in 2018.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, seven individuals have been reasonably identified. The 70
associated funerary objects are five complete ceramic vessels, one
obsidian flake, two quartz crystals, one turquoise fragment, one
pyrite, and 60 reeds. AR-03-06-05-01024 is a Classic Mimbres site
located within the GNF, Wilderness Ranger District, within Catron
County, New Mexico. The site was the location of an authorized
excavation, with a developed Plan of Action (and research design) that
started in 2016 and ended in 2017. The associated funerary objects were
specifically associated with two of the seven individuals.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individuals have been reasonably identified. The 28
associated funerary objects are 11 Alma Plain Wares, six Corrugated
Wares, and one Red-on-White Ware sherds; eight rhyolite, one obsidian,
and one chert flakes. AR-03-06-07-01819 is a Late Archaic Period (BC
780-A.D. 450) and Pithouse/Puebloan Periods (A.D. ~200-1150) site with
two potential pithouse features and a large artifact scatter located
within the GNF, Silver City Ranger District, within Grant County, New
Mexico. On December 7, 2020, human remains, were found by two hikers.
Local and GNF law enforcement visited the remains December 8, 2020,
determining they did not belong to a recent crime scene, collecting
those on ground surface and delivering them to the GNF Forest
Archaeologist. On December 9, 2020, GNF archeologists visited the site
and performed an assessment. There was evidence of recent looting;
however, some of the human remains had been exposed far longer than the
looting event based on weathering and soil discoloration of the bone.
The archeologists recovered several more bone fragments and artifacts
within the disturbed soil. The remainder of the human remains appeared
to be in place. The in-situ remains were stabilized and covered with
soil, rocks, and loose vegetation to disguise the disturbance.
Determinations
The GNF has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 79 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 116 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 Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico;
and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico have priority
for disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects
described in this notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains and associated
funerary objects 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 18, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects. 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 associated funerary objects in
this notice may occur on or after April 17, 2025. If competing claims
for disposition are received, the GNF must determine the most
appropriate claimant prior to disposition. Requests for joint
disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects are
considered a single request and not competing requests. The GNF 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: February 4, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-04376 Filed 3-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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