Notice2026-00863
Notice of Inventory Completion: Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Tempe, AZ
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 16, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Arizona State University, Center for Archaeology and Society Repository (CASR) acting in place of the Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change (ASU SHESC) 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 91 Issue 11 (Friday, January 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 11 (Friday, January 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2145-2146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00863]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N6872; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0041862; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Arizona State University, School
of Human Evolution and Social Change, Tempe, 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), the Arizona State University, Center for
Archaeology and Society Repository (CASR) acting in place of the
Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change
(ASU SHESC) 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 February 17, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send written requests for repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this notice to Allisen Dahlstedt,
Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change,
P.O. Box 872402, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#753419191c06101b5b31141d190601101101351406005b101100"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c687aaaaafb5a3a8e882a7aeaab5b2a3a2b286a7b5b3e8a3a2b3">[email protected]</span></a>
and Christopher Caseldine, Arizona State University, School of Human
Evolution and Social Change, P.O. Box 872402, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402,
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#46052e342f353229362e233468052735232a222f28230627353368232233"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="602308120913140f100805124e230113050c04090e05200113154e050415">[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
ASU CASR, 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, 31 individuals have been
identified. The human remains were removed from the Cashion site in
Maricopa County, AZ, during the course of four separate archaeological
undertakings associated with ASU, over a total span of 33 years.
Archaeological evidence suggests that
[[Page 2146]]
the Cashion site was occupied from the Hohokam Pioneer through the
Classic Periods (approximately A.D. 500 to 1450), with different areas
of the site occupied at different times.
From July to September 1966, at least seven individuals were
removed from an unknown location within the Cashion site, during an
unofficial project carried out by ASU students. Very few details about
the project are available. The 19 associated funerary objects are eight
lots of shell materials, three lots of faunal fragments, two lot of
ceramics, one lot of chipped stone, two lots of raw stone, two lots of
daub, and one lot of historic materials.
On January 22 and 23rd, 1975, ASU Department of Anthropology
faculty Dr. Charles Merbs and a team of ASU osteology students removed
two burials disturbed by the landowner while digging to plant a tree,
in the southwest portion of the Cashion site. The two individuals and
several cultural objects were removed and brought to ASU. The 15
associated funerary objects are three pollen samples, one lot of bone
tools, one vessel, one lot of ceramic sherds, two lots of chipped
stone, four lots of ground stone, one lot of raw stone, and two lots of
shell.
Between July and November 1977, at least six individuals were
removed from the west-central portion of the site during research
conducted by an ASU graduate student. The 13 associated funerary
objects are six lots of ceramic sherds, five lots of chipped stone, one
lot of ground stone, and one lot of raw stone.
Over four semesters from Fall 1997 through Spring of 1999, at least
16 individuals were removed from the Cashion Site during multiple
phases of a field school overseen by Dr. Glen Rice of ASU's Department
of Anthropology. The 31 associated funerary objects are 19 lots of
faunal bone, two lots of chipped stone, three lots of raw stone, five
lots of shell, and two lots of historic materials.
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
The ASU, SHESC, CASR, Tempe, AZ, has determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of 31 individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 78 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 Ak-Chin
Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian
Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa
Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham
Nation of Arizona; and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New
Mexico.
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
in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after February 17, 2026.
If competing requests for repatriation are received, the ASU CASR 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 ASU CASR 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: January 9, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-00863 Filed 1-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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