Notice2025-04611
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Coronado National Forest, Tucson, AZ
Primary source
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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 Agriculture, Forest Service, Coronado 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 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12758-12759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04611]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039574; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Coronado National Forest, Tucson, 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, Coronado 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 18, 2025. If no claim for
disposition is received by March 19, 2026, the human remains or
cultural items in this notice will become unclaimed human remains or
cultural items.
ADDRESSES: David Mehalic, Coronado National Forest, Supervisor's
Office, 300 W Congress Street, Tucson, AZ 85701, telephone (520) 388-
8395, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#761217001f12581b131e171a1f15360305121758111900"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="197d786f707d37747c717875707a596c6a7d78377e766f">[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
Coronado 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
The 47 objects of cultural patrimony are ceramic sherds. Eight of
the sherds are Mimbres Classic Black-on-white, two sherds are
corrugated brownwares, eight sherds are undecorated whitewares, and 29
sherds are undecorated brownwares or buffwares. These materials were
gathered from Forest Service site number AR03-05-04-101. This site is
informally known as Hawk Peak Shrine. AR03-05-04-101 contains an oval
hole surrounded by a rock ring and cairn and is interpreted to be a
shrine associated with Mogollon use of the area. This site is located
on the summit of a high-altitude peak in the Pinale[ntilde]o Mountains,
approximately 13 miles southwest of Safford, Arizona. The site is
located on lands administered by the Coronado National Forest, in the
Safford Vista Ranger District within Graham County, Arizona. On May 23,
2000, four ceramics were gathered from the surface of AR03-05-04-101.
In addition to material gathered in 2000, ceramics associated with the
site were gathered on October 20, 1987.
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, two individuals have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. The two individuals were identified in
faunal collections at the Arizona State Museum (ASM) associated with
Forest Service site number AR03-05-05-213. This site is informally
known as the Romero Site because of the Historic occupation of the
Romero Family ca. 1844. The site is also a large Hohokam site with an
occupation dating from A.D. 425 to A.D. 1450. The site is located on
lands administered by the Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina
Ranger District and permitted to the State of Arizona for Catalina
State Park. The site location is in Pima County, AZ.
In 1987, the Institute for American Research (Desert Archaeology)
conducted an archaeological collection survey in Catalina State Park,
focusing on the site. All artifacts, reports, and photo material were
curated at ASM. Additional test excavations were conducted in 1990 and
1993 and all archaeological material was curated at ASM. This
collection went through repatriation and disposition by ASM to the
Tohono O'odham Nation on behalf of Coronado National Forest in 2009
(ASM #r DP-2009-7). Subsequently, in 2016 ASM conducted a review of the
faunal remains from the excavations. The human remains of two
individuals were identified in these collections.
[[Page 12759]]
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, two individuals have been reasonably identified. No associated
funerary objects are present. The 4,707 unassociated funerary objects
are 4,232 ceramics, 457 pieces of flaked stone, four groundstone
fragments, and 14 faunal remains. The two individuals were identified
during efforts to restore and stabilize unauthorized excavations at
Forest Service site number AR03-05-05-213. This site is informally
known as the Romero Site because of the Historic occupation of the
Romero Family ca. 1844. The site is also a large Hohokam site with an
occupation dating from A.D. 425 to A.D. 1450. The site is located on
lands administered by the Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina
Ranger District and permitted to the State of Arizona for Catalina
State Park. The site location is in Pima County, AZ.
The project included the restoration of up to six unauthorized
excavations, here referred to as ``pits.'' The excavations were
conducted in accordance with the requirements of an ARPA permit issued
by Coronado National Forest to Archaeology Southwest pursuant to the
Archaeological Resources Protection Act. On Wednesday April 13, 2022, a
team of archaeologists from Archaeology Southwest and Gila River Indian
Community excavated the back dirt pile from one pit. The back dirt was
screened for artifacts, and large rocks were set aside for later
volumetric computation, to be returned to the pit during final backfill
and stabilization. Nearly all the back dirt pile had been processed
when human remains of what is likely an individual of Native American
heritage were found. As per the Forest Service protocol for inadvertent
discoveries, all work was stopped at the location and the area was
secured with a tarp and large rocks. The team moved to another pit and
began the same work processing the back dirt pile. The work continued
the following day April 14th and again, the back dirt pile was nearly
processed when human remains of what is likely an individual of Native
American heritage were found. Again, work was stopped, and the area was
secured. Dr. James Watson of the Arizona State Museum confirmed the
remains are consistent with human.
The 436 objects of cultural patrimony are 392 ceramics, one flake,
one hammerstone, one deer tooth fragment, one piece of worked wood, six
tobacco twigs, one twig segment, nine cane tubes, one saltpeter
crystal, two stone mosaic pieces, three shell disk beads, two stone
disk beads, 10 turquoise disk beads, one turquoise pendant, one piece
of unworked turquoise, and four charcoal samples. Many of the ceramics
are sherd disks or modified into secondary vessels. These materials
were gathered from Forest Service site number AR03-05-03-78. This site
is informally known as Red Cave. The site is located within a large
cave in the Whetstone Mountains, approximately 13 miles southwest of
Benson, Arizona. The site is located on lands administered by the
Coronado National Forest, in the Sierra Vista Ranger District within
Pima County, Arizona.
AR03-05-03-78 contains a water-filled basin where much of the
gathered material was deposited. The site is interpreted to be a
shrine. The large number of Middle Rincon and Late Rincon red-on-brown
pottery suggests the site was used by the Hohokam from A.D. 1000 to
A.D. 1150. On February 26, 1993, 16 objects were gathered from AR03-05-
03-78: one sherd disk, one unworked sherd, one flake, one hammerstone,
three cane tubes, one twig, six tobacco stems, one piece of worked
wood, and one piece of charcoal. The tobacco is associated with the
cane tube. In addition to material gathered in 1993, sherd disks and
other modified sherds, wood fragments, cane tubes, saltpeter, and shell
and turquoise beads were collected, totaling 420 objects, between March
18, 1973 and August 8, 1990.
Determinations
The Coronado National Forest has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of four individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 4,707 unassociated funerary 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 483 objects of cultural patrimony described in this
notice 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), according to the Native American traditional knowledge of
an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
<bullet> The Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community
of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa
Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona and the Tohono
O'odham Nation of Arizona 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 19, 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 18, 2025. If competing claims for
disposition are received, the Coronado 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 Coronado 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: February 19, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-04611 Filed 3-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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