Notice2025-04464
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK
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Published
March 19, 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 the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region (USFWS), with assistance from the University of Alaska Museum of the North and the Museum of the Aleutians 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
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12762-12764]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04464]
[[Page 12762]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039554; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK
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, Alaska Region (USFWS), with assistance from the
University of Alaska Museum of the North and the Museum of the
Aleutians 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 April 18, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Jeremy M. Karchut, Regional Historic Preservation Officer/
Archaeologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E. Tudor Road,
Anchorage, AK 99503, telephone, (907) 786-3399, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#08626d7a6d65715763697a6b607d7c486e7f7b266f677e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="056f607760687c5a6e6477666d7071456372762b626a73">[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, and additional information on the determinations in this notice,
including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or
related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the
determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Human remains representing, at least, 67 individuals have been
identified. The 338 associated funerary objects are from Agattu Island:
a worked piece of ivory, a lot of five animal bones; from Amchitka
Island: eight animal bones or fragments, two shells, four wedges, one
punch, 11 pieces of worked bone, five awls, one needle fragment, one
animal tooth, one pendant, two adze, one graver, 16 flakes or flake
lots, one cobble, three cores, 13 hammerstones, one hand stone, one
hafted hammer, three harpoon fragments, four worked stones, one net
weight, two abraders, nine scrapers, one chopper, one piece of ochre,
two lamps, one dish fragment, five knives, two bark samples, three soil
samples, 25 lots of animal bone, one bone cup, 13 wedges, 11 pieces of
worked bone, one seal figurine, six bone points, four harpoon heads,
three harpoon foreshafts, two awls, one animal tooth, eight pendants,
one labret, two adzes, seven blades, 14 flakes, 10 cobbles, eight
hammerstones, one burin, one whetstone, one ulu, six worked stones,
four abraders, one scraper, five knife handles, one piece of worked
ivory, one lamp, one knife, two soil samples, five hammerstones, four
wedges, one ulu blade, one worked bone, one bone scraper, one gouge,
one abrader, two fire drill bit, one adze, one projectile point, one
end scraper, one wedge, one ground slate fragment, one harpoon head
fragment, from Sheyma Island: one bone meat hook, one lot of animal
bones, from Buldir Island: 13 projectile points, four bifaces, 29
blades, two scrapers, three worked stones, three unworked stones, two
knives, four flakes, one harpoon head, one bone fragment, one handle,
one dart, and one worked bone. The human remains and associated
funerary objects were removed from archeological sites on Agattu
Island, Amchitka Island, Shemya Island, Little Kiska Island, Nizki
Island, Adak Island, Buldir Island, and Attu Island.
On Agattu Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK prior to
1968 human remains representing, at minimum, five individuals were
removed. According to records at the University of Alaska Museum of the
North, these remains were collected by Robert Jones from the surface of
a beach and had eroded from a nearby archaeological site.
Correspondence in the accession file states that the remains originate
from a site that Ales Hrdlicka excavated at prior to World War II. The
remains were transferred to the museum in 1968, where they are still
housed today and represent two adult males, one adult female, and two
juveniles. No known individuals were identified.
On Amchitka Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK in 1968,
1969, and 1971 human remains representing, at minimum, 31 individuals
(22 adults and nine juveniles) and 269 associated funerary objects were
removed from 12 archaeological sites and two unknown locations by
William S. Laughlin, Richard Sense, Roger Desautels, and/or John Cook
during archaeological survey, testing, and excavation for the Atomic
Energy Commission. The complete history of where these human remains
and associated funerary objects were stored in the past is unknown, but
they are currently split between the University of Alaska Museum of the
North in Fairbanks, AK and the Museum of the Aleutians in Unalaska, AK.
The archaeological site numbers and corresponding MNI for all 31
individuals removed during work conducted for the Atomic Energy
Commission are as follows: one adult individual from RAT-00003, one
adult individual from RAT-00006, two adults and one juvenile individual
from RAT-00010, one adult individual from RAT-00011, one adult
individual from RAT-00013, three adult individuals and one juvenile
individual from RAT-00014, one adult individual from RAT-00015, one
adult individual from RAT-00023, three adult and five juvenile
individuals from RAT-00029, one adult individual from RAT-031, one
adult individual from RAT-00032, three adult individuals and one
juvenile individual from RAT-00035, one adult individual from RAT-
00036, and two adults and one juvenile from unknown locations. No known
individuals were identified.
In 1969 human remains representing, at minimum, one juvenile
individual was removed from an unknown location on Amchitka Island in
the Aleutians West Census Area, AK. The exact location where these
remains were collected is unknown, but they were collected by Bob West
of Walsh & Co. contractors during excavation of sea otter pens. These
remains represent one juvenile individual and were placed at the
University of Alaska Museum of the North in 1975 where they are still
housed today. No associated funerary objects are present for this
individual.
Prior to 1958 human remains representing, at minimum, three
individuals were removed from St. Makarius Point on Amchitka Island in
the Aleutians West Census Area, AK. These remains were collected from
an unknown archaeological site located on top of a bluff and uncovered
during construction activities related to a United States Coast Guard
Loran Station built on the site. According to records at the University
of Alaska Museum of the North, these human remains were transferred to
the museum in 1958 where they are still housed today and represent
three adult males. No known individuals were identified. No associated
funerary objects are present.
In 1957 human remains representing, at minimum, three individuals
were removed from St. Makarius Point on Amchitka Island in the
Aleutians West Census Area, AK. The exact location where these remains
were collected is unknown, and there is little information regarding
the circumstances
[[Page 12763]]
surrounding their removal. According to records at the University of
Alaska Museum of the North, these human remains were collected by K. W.
Kenyon possibly during biological work being conducted on the island,
who then transferred them to the museum where they are still housed
today. These human remains represent one adult male and two juveniles.
No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects
are present.
On Shemya Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK human
remains representing, at minimum one adult individual were removed. The
exact location where these remains were collection is unknown, and
there is little information regarding the circumstances surrounding
their removal. These remains are housed at the Museum of the Aleutians
in Unalaska, AK. No known individuals were identified. No associated
funerary objects are present.
Prior to 1946 human remains representing, at minimum, four adult
individuals were removed from Shemya Island in the Aleutians West
Census Area, AK. The exact location where these remains were collected
is unknown, and there is little information regarding the circumstances
surrounding their removed. These remains were transferred to the
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University by
Louis G. Fonda in 1946. These remains were transferred again in 2017 to
the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks, AK where
they are still housed today. No known individuals were identified. A
single associated funerary object was present.
Prior to 1962 human remains representing, at minimum, one adult
individual were removed from Shemya Island in the Aleutians West Census
Area, AK. The exact location where these remains were collected is
unknown, and there is little information regarding the circumstances
surrounding their removal. According to records at the University of
Alaska Museum of the North, these human remains were transferred to the
museum by Cynthia Goodwin in 1962 where they are still housed today. No
known individuals were identified. One associated funerary object was
present.
In 1963 human remains representing, at minimum, three individuals
were removed from Shemya Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK.
The exact location where these remains were collected is unknown, but
they were removed from the east side of the island by M. M. Perry
during construction activities. These remains represent one adult
female and two juvenile individuals and were transferred to the
University of Alaska Museum of the North in 1964 where they are still
housed today. No associated funerary objects are present for this
individual.
In 1965 human remains representing, at minimum, eight individuals
were removed from Shemya Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK.
According to records at the University of Alaska Museum of the North,
these remains were collected from at least two archaeological sites on
the island by Mike Aamodt. One adult individual was removed from a
location labeled as the North-Northeast site, which was actually
located on the east coast of the island and has since been destroyed by
construction activities. Three adult and one juvenile individual were
removed from a location labeled as the Northeast site which was on the
far northeast corner of the island. This site has also subsequently
been destroyed by construction activities on the island. Two adult and
one juvenile individual were removed from unknown locations on the
island. All eight individuals were transferred to the University of
Alaska Museum of the North in 1965 where they are still housed today.
No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects
are present.
On Little Kiska Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK prior
to 1951 human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were
removed. The exact location where these remains were collected is
unknown, and there is little information regarding the circumstances
surrounding their removal. According to records at the University of
Alaska Museum of the North, these human remains were transferred to the
museum by Arnold Akers in 1951, where they are still housed today.
These human remains represent one adult female aged 21-35 years. No
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are
present.
On Nizki Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK in 1976 human
remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed.
According to records at the University of Alaska Museum of the North,
these remains were collected from the surface of an unknown
archaeological site on the west end of the island during biological
survey carried out by John L. Trapp with the United State Fish and
Wildlife Service. These human remains were transferred to the museum
1976 where they are still housed today and represent one female aged
15-20 years. No known individuals were identified. No associated
funerary objects are present.
On Adak Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK prior to 1946
human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed.
The exact location where these remains were collected is unknown, and
there is little information regarding the circumstances surrounding
their removal. According to records at the University of Alaska Museum
of the North, these human remains were found in the back of an
abandoned Navy truck associated with Adak Naval Air Station. A Navy
intelligence investigation was conducted but no conclusions were
reached as to the person's identity, antiquity, or if foul play was
involved. Without evidence otherwise, these remains were likely taken
from an unknown archaeological site on the island. These remains were
transferred to Ivar Skarland at the museum in 1946, where they are
still housed today. These human remains represent one adult male aged
21-35 years. No known individuals were identified. No associated
funerary objects are present.
On Buldir Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK in 1974
human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals were removed.
These remains were collected from the ground surface of an unknown
archaeological site on the northwest beach of the island. According to
records at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, these human
remains were collected during the course of biological surveys being
completed by G. Vernon Byrd, Matthew H. Dick, and Christian P. Dau with
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The remains were
transferred to the museum in 1975 where they are still housed today and
represent one adult male aged 21-30 years and one juvenile male aged
13-17 years. No known individuals were identified. Sixty-five
associated funerary objects are present.
On Attu Island in the Aleutians West Census Area, AK in 2002 humans
remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed from an
archaeological site (ATU-00014) by Debra Corbett, with the Alaska
Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the time. These remains were
transferred from Anchorage, AK to the University of Alaska Museum of
the North in Fairbanks, AK in 2016 and were subsequently identified and
pulled from the archaeological collection during rehousing and
cataloging activities. No known individuals were identified. No
associated funerary objects are present.
All 67 individuals and 338 associated funerary objects removed from
these islands are believed to be associated with the modern-day
populations of
[[Page 12764]]
Atka Island and the Aleut Corporation. There are no associated
radiocarbon dates for these human remains and associated funerary
objects. The burial context and physical traits of the human remains
are consistent with those observed for pre-contact Aleut populations.
Skeletal morphology of present-day Aleut populations is similar to that
of pre-contact Aleut populations and demonstrates biological
affiliation between present-day Aleut groups and pre-contact
populations in the Aleutian Islands. For these reasons the human
remains and associated funerary objects removed Agattu Island, Amchitka
Island, Shemya Island, Little Kiska Island, Nizki Island, Adak Island,
Buldir Island, and Attu Island and described above are determined to be
directly related to Alaska Native tribal members residing in Atka, AK
today.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical
location or acquisition history of the human remains and associated
funerary objects described in this notice.
Determinations
The USFWS has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 67 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 338 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 connection between the human remains and
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Native
Village of Atka.
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.
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 an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with
cultural affiliation.
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after April 18,
2025. 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 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: February 19, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-04464 Filed 3-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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