Notice2026-05306
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN, and Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
Primary source
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Published
March 18, 2026
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) and Western Kentucky University (WKU) 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 52 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13058-13059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05306]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[N7014; NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0042368; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation, Division of Archaeology, Nashville, TN,
and Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
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) and Western Kentucky
University (WKU) 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 April 17, 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#f2a29a9b9edcba9d969597b2869cdc959d84"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6b3b0302074523040f0c0e2b1f05450c041d">[email protected]</span></a> and Nikki A. Wilcox,
Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green,
KY 42101, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#016f686a6a682f76686d626e7941766a742f646574"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="452b2c2e2e2c6b322c29262a3d05322e306b202130">[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 and WKU, 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.
[[Page 13059]]
Abstract of Information Available
Human remains representing, at least, three individuals have been
identified. The 649 associated funerary objects are lithic and faunal
materials, shell, and ceramic artifacts.
Site 15LO11, Logan County, Kentucky
In 2025, TDEC-DOA discovered a box in their repository labeled
``Savage Cave, 15LO11; 10-69.'' Upon examination, it was determined
that the numbers referred to a date (October 1969) rather than a TDEC-
DOA accession number. Inside the box, TDEC-DOA found a single partial
ancestor and various materials removed from the site, most likely by a
Tennessee Archaeology Society (TAS) member who later donated them to
TDEC-DOA, although no records confirm this. Research revealed that
15LO11 is a multicomponent location that has experienced extensive
looting over the years. Several Kentucky universities, along with
advocational archaeology groups such as TAS have been associated with
the site. TDEC-DOA contacted all relevant universities and discovered
additional site materials in Western Kentucky University's care.
At WKU this site was visited by both Dr. Jack Schock in 1969/1970
and later by Valerie Haskins in the 1990's. According to artifact bags
in the collection and the ledgers that were kept, Dr. Jack Schock
likely visited the site with students and excavated a unit in 1969/
1970. While there are no field journals notes from this time, records
from an incomplete ledger of that period documents that materials were
removed in 1969 on January 11th, February 19th, February 22nd and April
30th, as well as in 1970 on May 28th. At least one Ancestor was removed
during this time, and the listed belongings removed included faunal
remains, lithics, ceramics and shell. Based upon the presence of unit-
depth information in the ledger, the archaeologists excavated one unit
or trench despite there being no unit numbers or locations listed.
In 1970, one student completed a short documentation and subsequent
summary of the faunal remains removed during the 1969/1970 excavations.
This is the only further known documentation completed at this site.
Despite there being a larger number of belongings known to have been
removed during the 1969/1970 excavation, only seven of the belongings
have been located, meaning that 638 belongings and one Ancestor are
currently unaccounted for presently. Steps are being taken to identify
their location.
In 1995, WKU students, under the guidance of Valerie Haskins,
visited this site to see the aftermath of looting. Students visited the
cave twice in 1995; on November 29th and December 2nd. During these
visits, Haskins and students removed the remains of at least one
Ancestor and brought them back to WKU. The remains of this Ancestor
were not included in the initial 1990's NAGPRA inventory for reasons
unknown.
Cultural Affiliation
Based on the information available and the results of consultation,
cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the geographical location
or acquisition history of the human remains and associated funerary
objects described in this notice.
Determinations
The TDEC-DOA and WKU have determined that:
<bullet> The human remains described in this notice represent the
physical remains of three individuals of Native American ancestry.
<bullet> The 649 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 Absentee-
Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Quapaw Nation;
Shawnee Tribe; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in
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 April 17,
2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the TDEC-DOA
and WKU 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 TDEC-DOA and WKU are 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: March 11, 2026.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2026-05306 Filed 3-17-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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