Notice2025-06212
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Angeles National Forest, Arcadia, CA
Primary source
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Published
April 11, 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, Angeles National Forest (USFS--Angeles 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 69 (Friday, April 11, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 69 (Friday, April 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15473-15474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-06212]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039896; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Angeles National Forest, Arcadia, CA
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, Angeles National Forest (USFS--Angeles 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 May 12, 2025. If no claim for disposition
is received by April 13, 2026, the human remains or cultural items in
this notice will become unclaimed human remains or cultural items.
ADDRESSES: Roman Luis Torres, Forest Supervisor, USFS--Angeles National
Forest, 701 N Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006, telephone (626)
574-5216, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c9bba6a4a8a7e7bda6bbbbacba89bcbaada8e7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3644595b575818425944445345764345525718515940">[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
USFS--Angeles 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 two individuals have been reasonably
[[Page 15474]]
identified from two archaeological sites CA-LAN-1977 and FS #05-01-55-
137. The one associated funerary object is a drilled pendent associated
with FS #05-01-55-137.
CA-LAN-1977
The inadvertent discovery included two incisors with shovel-shaped
morphology, a cranial fragment, and two phalanges (finger/toe bones),
as well as numerous indeterminate bone fragments. Formal written
notification was mailed on July 7, 2010, to federally recognized
Tribes, non-federally recognized Tribes, and interested members of the
Native American community. A Plan of Action (POA) was sent out July 26,
2010, for review, comment, and edits, with the request that the closest
Federally Recognized Tribe, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (YSMN)
take lead on any coordination with the community members participating.
The Forest and YSMN representatives have met onsite (2021-2024) and
discussed by email and at meetings about repatriating the ancestral
remains to the tribal and identifying an appropriate location for a
potential reburial near the discovery location. During these
discussions, the YSMN representative verbally indicated the Tribe,
considering the discovery occurred within an area they ascribed
cultural affinity, would make a formal claim in this case. Additional
written information and records were provided on July 22, 2024.
FS #05-01-55-137
Another inadvertent discovery occurred in 2000, during the
inventory of a proposed trail project located south of the city of
Acton, California. Five skeletal fragments were observed on the surface
in an area that is directly associated with a Native American
archaeological site (FS #05-01-55-137). A physical anthropologist,
using a non-intrusive examination, confirmed that three of the
fragments were cranial and can be definitively identified as human.
These fragments were collected following the coroner's determination
that they were Native American in origin. During a monitoring visit in
2007, additional skeletal material, comprising three cranial fragments
were observed on the surface near those collected in 2000. In addition,
a phalange bone (probable fingertip), and a molar tooth were collected
from a different location within the site, along with several
indeterminate bone fragments and non-local lithic material. An artifact
collected, a drilled pendent with parallel sides, was located and
collected some distance from the skeletal material and is likely to
have funerary associations. Additional written information and records
were provided on July 22, 2024.
Due to the location of the discovery, and prior and recent
consultation with Tribes and the Native American community, it was
determined the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation would have priority for
disposition for Native American human remains or cultural items
eligible for NAGPRA for these two inadvertent discoveries.
The Forest has received a formal written claim from the Yuhaaviatam
of San Manuel Nation on October 11, 2024, for the remains and items
associated with CA-LAN-1977 and FS #05-01-55-137.
Determinations
The USFS--Angeles National Forest has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of at least two individuals of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> The one object described in this notice is 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 Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (previously listed as
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, California) has 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 April 13, 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 May 12, 2025. If competing claims for disposition
are received, the USFS--Angeles 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 USFS--Angeles 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: April 1, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-06212 Filed 4-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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