Notice2025-23543
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN; East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN; and University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN
Primary source
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Published
December 22, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA), East Tennessee State University, Department of Anthropology (ETSU), and University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Anthropology (UTK) 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 243 (Monday, December 22, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 243 (Monday, December 22, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59862-59863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23543]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6813; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041645; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN;
East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN; and University of
Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Knoxville, TN
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 Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation, Division of Archaeology (TDEC-DOA), East Tennessee State
University, Department of Anthropology (ETSU), and University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Anthropology (UTK) 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 January 21, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Phillip R. Hodge,
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of
Archaeology (TDEC-DOA), 1216 Foster Avenue, Cole Building #3,
Nashville, TN 37243, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ce9ea6a7a2e086a1aaa9ab8ebaa0e0a9a1b8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1b4b7372773553747f7c7e5b6f75357c746d">[email protected]</span></a>; Dr. Lindsey Cochran, East
Tennessee State University (ETSU), 223 Rogers-Stout Hall, P.O. Box
70644, Johnson City, TN 37614-1702, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#22414d414a50434c4e4762475651570c474657"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8cefe3efe4feede2e0e9cce9f8fff9a2e9e8f9">[email protected]</span></a>; and Dr.
Ellen Lofaro, University of Tennessee (UTK), Office of Repatriation,
5723 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN 37996, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c1afa0a6b1b3a081b4b5aaefa4a5b4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="224c4345525043625756490c474657">[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
TDEC-DOA, ETSU, and UTK 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
Site 40SL34, Sullivan County, TN
Human remains representing, at least, 14 individuals have been
identified. The 10 associated funerary objects are two lithic bifaces,
one notched freshwater bivalve shell, five lots of artifacts including
fauna, one lot of shell beads, and one lot of unsorted materials. These
Ancestors and cultural items were recovered from Eastman Rock Shelter,
a Late Archaic to Mississippian site, between July 1979 to October 1980
by S.D. Dean. This project was done in collaboration with Charles
Faulkner (UTK) and TDOT. It is unknown when the Ancestors and cultural
items were transferred to UTK, but based on past practices, this
transfer was likely instigated by Faulkner. The Ancestors and some
cultural items were then transferred to ETSU by staff prior to 2018.
Later, these Ancestors and some cultural items were transferred to
TDEC-DOA for repatriation. There is no known exposure to hazardous
substances or treatments.
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 TDEC-DOA, ETSU, and UTK have determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 14 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 10 associated funerary 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 Cherokee
Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation;
Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee
Indians in Oklahoma.
[[Page 59863]]
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
21, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the
TDEC-DOA, ETSU, and UTK 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. TDEC-DOA, ETSU, and UTK are responsible for
sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian
organizations identified in this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act,
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.
Dated: December 11, 2025.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2025-23543 Filed 12-19-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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