Notice2025-06648
Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Ridgefield, WA
Primary source
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Published
April 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 the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects 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 74 (Friday, April 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 74 (Friday, April 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16547-16548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-06648]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039959; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Repatriation: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Fish and Wildlife Service, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
Ridgefield, 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 U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish
and Wildlife Service, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex
intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition
of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation
with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice may occur on
or after May 19, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Eric Anderson, U.S. Fish and Service, Ridgefield National
Wildlife Refuge Complex, P.O. Box 457, Ridgefield, WA 98642, telephone
(360) 887-4106, Ext. 11126, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b2e392228142a252f2e393824250b2d3c38652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1d786f747e427c7379786f6e72735d7b6a6e337a726b">[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
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 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.
[[Page 16548]]
Abstract of Information Available
A total of 98 cultural items have been requested for repatriation.
The 98 unassociated funerary objects consist of a stone anchor,
bracelets, metal buttons, a carved stone effigy, glass trade beads,
hammerstones, mauls, stone net sinkers, projectile points, metal rings,
and a metal knob. The items listed were collected over the years by Jim
Carty on his family farm in Clark County Washington. The family sold
the farm to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1965, and it became
part of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. In 1976, Jim Carty
donated the collection to the Refuge. Mr. Carty listed objects as
coming from a ``burial site.'' In 1993, most of the collection was
loaned to Portland State University where it is still housed. The
remaining portion of the collection is held by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and
Cowlitz Indian Tribe have joined with the Chinook Nation to establish
the Lower Columbia River NAGPRA Consortium to work together on this
NAGPRA repatriation.
Determinations
The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex has determined
that:
<bullet> The 98 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> There is a reasonable connection between the cultural
items described in this notice and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand
Ronde Community of Oregon and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
Claims for Repatriation
Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural items
in this notice must be sent to the appropriate official 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 items in this notice to a requestor
may occur on or after May 19, 2025. If competing requests for
repatriation are received, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Complex must determine the most appropriate claimant prior to
repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the cultural items are
considered a single request and not competing requests. The Ridgefield
National Wildlife Refuge Complex 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. 3004, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9.
Dated: April 8, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-06648 Filed 4-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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