Notice2025-04626
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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 Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum (Burke Museum) intends to repatriate a certain cultural item that meets the definition of an unassociated funerary object and that have a cultural affiliation with the 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 12756-12757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04626]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039639; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: Thomas Burke Memorial Washington
State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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 Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State
Museum (Burke Museum) intends to repatriate a certain cultural item
that meets the definition of an unassociated funerary object and that
have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice may occur on or
after April 18, 2025.
[[Page 12757]]
ADDRESSES: Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box
353010, Seattle, WA 98195, telephone (206) 685-3849 Ext. 2, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4f3f232e3f2a0f3a38612a2b3a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c6b6aaa7b6a386b3b1e8a3a2b3">[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
Burke Museum, and additional information on the determinations in this
notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the
summary or related records. The National Park Service is not
responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
A total of one cultural item has been requested for repatriation.
The one unassociated funerary object is a ceramic vessel (Burke Cat.
1965-4/1). The vessel was collected by W.L. Phillips in 1926 from the
Gulf Coast, possibly in Mississippi. The vessel was eventually obtained
by Floyd Baldwin who then donated it to the Burke Museum in 1965.
Baldwin provided a note from W.L. Phillips that stated the vessel was
from the ``Choctaw Indians'' and had been exposed due to a hurricane in
1926, which eroded burial sites along river banks. Phillips provided
one photograph of the burial site where he found the vessel, which
included human remains. There is no information about whether Phillips
collected any other burial material or human remains from this site.
There is no documentation that indicates the vessel has been treated
with hazardous substances; however, it has not been tested for
hazardous contamination.
Determinations
The Burke Museum has determined that:
<bullet> The one unassociated funerary object described in this
notice is reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or
near human remains, and is 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 object has 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> There is a reasonable connection between the cultural item
described in this notice and The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Requests for Repatriation
Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural item
in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified
in this notice under ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation may be
submitted by 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.
Repatriation of the cultural item in this notice to a requestor may
occur on or after April 18, 2025. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Burke Museum must determine the most
appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint
repatriation of the cultural item are considered a single request and
not competing requests. The Burke Museum is responsible for sending a
copy of this notice to the 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. 3004 and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9.
Dated: March 5, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-04626 Filed 3-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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