Notice2025-23346
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Primary source
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Published
December 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Northern Arizona University have 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 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 242 (Friday, December 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59555-59556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23346]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6773; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041540; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, and Northern Arizona
University, Flagstaff, AZ
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, and Northern Arizona University have 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 January 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Tamara Billie, U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1001 Indian
School Road NW, Mailbox 44, Albuquerque, NM 87104, email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4733262a26352669252e2b2b2e2207252e2669202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a5d1c4c8c4d7c48bc7ccc9c9ccc0e5c7ccc48bc2cad3">[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
Bureau of Indian Affairs, 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 29 individuals have been
identified. The 30 associated funerary objects are pottery sherds,
pottery vessels, lithics, faunal bone, and a fragment of fur blanket.
These individuals and objects from Navajo Tribal Trust lands in
Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah came into the custody of Northern Arizona
University's Department of Anthropology as follows: three individuals
and associated funerary objects (fragments of fur blanket, human hair,
vegetal materials) and potentially associated funerary objects (Tusayan
Black-on-white jar sherds) excavated by J. Richard Ambler in 1970 at
Dust Devil Cave, NA7613, near Navajo Mountain, Utah; fragments of one
individual removed from surface context in Chindii Cave (UT V-13-
8[NAU]) near Navajo Mountain by J. Richard Ambler in 1970. No project
report has been located. BIA transferred the following to NAU custody
in 2019: fragments of 10 individuals from University of Connecticut
excavations by Lee Correll in 1970 in Monument Valley, Utah. BIA
transferred the following from custody of New Mexico State University
to Northern Arizona University in 2018: fragments of one or two
individuals with a few canid bones that may be associated--records are
unclear--the human bones were excavated by New Mexico State University
at AZE 8-10 (NMSU) near Cove, Arizona, in 1979 in the course of a
waterline project, or from a highway salvage project at site NA8800
near Chilchinbito in 1977 and given to NMSU in 1980; eight individuals
and 24 funerary objects (a Puerco Black-on-white jar fragment, a
miniature Gallup Black-on-white pitcher, four deer bones, 17
unidentified faunal bone fragments, and a shell bead necklace)
recovered near McKinley Mine from sites NL86, NL141, NL91, and NL250
sometime between 1977 and 1979 under a BIA contract; four to eight
individuals and 17 funerary objects (a small Cibola indented corrugated
jar, the base of a Puerco Black-on-white duck-shaped jar, two hammer
stones, eight lithic flakes, one lithic core, a set of 65 shell beads,
three faunal bones) recovered near Pinedale, McKinley County, New
Mexico between 1977 and 1979 on the N11 road excavation under a BIA
contract. Fragments of two individuals were gathered from an NAU field
school excavation in 1978 at AZ K-8-1 (NAU), St Michaels Pueblo near St
Michaels, Arizona, on land belonging to the Sisters of the Blessed
Sacrament, surrounded by Navajo Tribal Trust lands.
[[Page 59556]]
There is no evidence or record of the presence of any potentially
hazardous substances used to treat any of the human remains or
associated funerary objects. Glue was used on some items, and labels
were applied with ink to some items.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical
location or acquisition history of the human remains and associated
funerary objects described in this notice.
Determinations
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of at least 29 individuals of Native American
ancestry.
<bullet> The 30 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 Navajo
Nation, Arizona New Mexico, & Utah.
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 January
20, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
Bureau of Indian 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. The Bureau of Indian Affairs 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: December 4, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23346 Filed 12-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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