Notice2025-15853
Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Primary source
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Published
August 20, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (SNOMNH), has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 20, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40640-40641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15853]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6429; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0040836; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of
Natural History, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
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 Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural
History (SNOMNH), has completed an inventory of human remains and
associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural
affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects
and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice may occur on or after September 19, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Zachary Garrett,
NAGPRA Program Coordinator, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural
History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK
73072-7029, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#98e2f9fbfff9eaeafdececd8f7edb6fdfced"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="047e656763657676617070446b712a616071">[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
SNOMNH, and additional information on the determinations in this
notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its
inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not
responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Abstract of Information Available
Human remains representing, at least, seven individuals have been
identified. The 31 associated funerary objects are two lots of ceramic
bowls, two lots of ceramic jars, two lots of ceramic pots, two lots of
ceramic bottles, three lots of ceramic sherds, four lots of ceramic
effigies, four lots of ground stone, three lots of chipped stone
objects, two lots of beads, two lots of gorgets, one lot of faunal
pins, three lots of pipes, and one lot of hematite.
These individuals and associated funerary objects were removed from
multiple burial sites in Red River County-Texas, McCurtain County-
Oklahoma, and other parts of northeastern TX and southeastern OK. They
were removed by George T. Wright, a local landowner and collector.
Wright targeted burials and was specifically interested in Caddo
ceramic vessels. He worked most often in Red River and McCurtain
Counties, and dug at sites he knew in the area, including the Wright
Plantation site (41RR7) which he owned, and the Sam Kaufman/Coffman
site (41RR16, sometimes known as the Arnold Roitsch site), which was
just a few miles downstream along the Red River. The
[[Page 40641]]
individuals and objects included in this notice come from the Wright
and Kaufman sites in Red River County, the Roden (34MC215) and A.W.
Davis (34MC6) sites in McCurtain County, and from additional burial
sites in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas. They were likely
removed sometime between 1900 and 1944. SNOMNH acquired these
individuals and associated funerary objects after Wright passed away in
1944.
The Kaufman site contained houses, mounds, and cemeteries and dates
to the McCurtain Phase (1300-1700 CE), including the Caddo II, Caddo
III, and Caddo IV periods. The Wright Plantation site was a multiple
mound site with both Mound Prairie Phase (~1100-1400 CE) and McCurtain
Phase (1300-1700 CE) occupations. The Roden site is a village and mound
site dating to around 1300-1700 CE. The A.W. Davis site dates to the
Caddo III period (1400-1500 CE).
To our knowledge, no potentially hazardous materials were used to
treat any of the human remains or associated funerary objects.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available
about the human remains and associated funerary objects described in
this notice.
Determinations
SNOMNH has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of seven individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 31 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> There is a connection between the human remains and
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Caddo
Nation of Oklahoma.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the
authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES.
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations 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 the requestor is a lineal
descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with
cultural affiliation.
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after September
19, 2025. If competing requests for repatriation are received, SNOMNH
must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation.
Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated
funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing
requests. SNOMNH is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to
the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this
notice and any other consulting parties.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: August 5, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-15853 Filed 8-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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