Notice2025-08778
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
Primary source
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Published
May 16, 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, National Park Service, Rock Creek Park (ROCR) intends to carry out the disposition of human remains and associated funerary objects 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 94 (Friday, May 16, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 94 (Friday, May 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21070-21071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08778]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040152; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of the Interior,
National Park Service, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC
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,
National Park Service, Rock Creek Park (ROCR) intends to carry out the
disposition of human remains and associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects
in this notice may occur on or after June 16, 2025. If no claim for
disposition is received by May 18, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects.
ADDRESSES: Brian Joyner, Superintendent, Rock Creek Park, 3545
Williamsburg Lane NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 895-6002,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0d6f7f646c635267627463687f4d637d7e236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2745554e4649784d485e4942556749575409404851">[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
Superintendent ROCR, 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.
Abstract of Information Available
Based on the information available, human remains representing, at
least, one individual have been reasonably identified from the Ramp 3
site (51NW117). The 72 associated funerary objects include fragments of
at least 14 great white shark's teeth; one sandstone phallus; two stone
pendants; one elk antler comb with 83 fragments counted as one lot; one
stone knife blade; one wood bead; one quartzite hammerstone; five
fragmented antler disks; and some very small textile fragments counted
as one lot. In addition to the artifacts, 33 small, burned fragments of
mammal bone and 12 small, burned fragments of bird bone were found.
Between 1996 and 1997, an archeological contract firm made an
unanticipated archeological discovery during a highway improvement
project on National Park Service land administered by Rock Creek Park
in Washington, DC. During analysis of the animal fauna recovered from
the site, two human bones were found and sent to a forensic specialist
for identification. It is believed that the individual and some of the
organic artifacts recovered at the site may have been cremated
elsewhere before being re-interred in this location. The human remains
and funerary objects are stored at the NPS Museum Resource Center
(MRCE) in the National Capital Region.
Determinations
ROCR has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical
[[Page 21071]]
remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 72 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> The Chickahominy Indian Tribe; Chickahominy Indian Tribe--
Eastern Division; Delaware Nation, Oklahoma; Delaware Tribe of Indians;
Nansemond Indian Nation; Pamunkey Indian Tribe; Rappahannock Tribe,
Inc.; Seneca Nation of Indians; and the Upper Mattaponi Tribe have
priority for disposition of the human remains and associated funerary
objects described in this notice.
Claims for Disposition
Written claims for disposition of the human remains and associated
funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the appropriate
official identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. If no claim for
disposition is received by May 18, 2026, the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice will become unclaimed human
remains and associated funerary objects.
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 and associated funerary objects in
this notice may occur on or after June 16, 2025. If competing claims
for disposition are received, ROCR 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. ROCR 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: May 8, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-08778 Filed 5-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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