Notice of Inventory Completion: Human Remains Repository, Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 20612-20615 [2017-08868]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20612-20615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08868]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-23117: PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Human Remains Repository, 
Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Human Remains Repository, Department of Anthropology, 
University of Wyoming, has completed an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate 
Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that 
there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and 
associated funerary objects and any present-day Indian tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to 
request transfer of control of these human remains and associated 
funerary objects should submit a written request to the Human Remains 
Repository, Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming. If no 
additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human 
remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to request 
transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary 
objects should submit a written request with information in support of 
the request to the Human Remains Repository, Department of 
Anthropology, University of Wyoming, at the address in this notice by 
June 2, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Rick L. Weathermon, Curator, Human Remains Repository, 
Department 3431, Anthropology, 1000 East University Avenue, University 
of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, telephone (307) 314-2035, email 
rikw@uwyo.edu.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the 
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 
U.S.C. 3003, of the completion of an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects under the control of the Human Remains 
Repository, Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, 
WY. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from 
multiple locations in multiple counties in Wyoming.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 
43 CFR 10.11(d). The determinations in this notice are the sole 
responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has 
control of the Native American human remains and associated funerary 
objects. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Human 
Remains Repository, Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, 
Laramie, WY, professional staff in consultation with representatives of 
the Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming. The following 
tribes were invited to consult but did not participate in consultation: 
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Oklahoma (previously listed as the 
Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma); and Northern Cheyenne Tribe of 
the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Montana.

[[Page 20613]]

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1968, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 48AB6, located east of Laramie in Albany County, 
WY, near the City Springs wells, by members of the University of 
Wyoming Department of Anthropology. The human remains represent a 
Native American female 21-25 years old. No known individual was 
identified. The human remains and associated funerary objects are 
recorded together as HR006 in the Human Remains Repository records. 
Sediment samples from the grave area are also present. The 8 associated 
funerary objects include one lot of brass wire bracelet fragments; one 
lot of rusted metal fragments; one lot of blue glass seed trade beads; 
one lot of white glass seed trade beads; one lump of red ocher; one lot 
of small disintegrating leather fragments; one lot of debitage; and one 
lot of decaying wood fragments that may represent a grave cover or 
collapsed scaffold.
    In 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from the Bell Cave site (48AB304), located 18 miles north-
northeast of Laramie in Albany County, WY, by members of the Wyoming 
State Archaeology Survey Office. The fragmentary human remains 
represent a Native American individual 21-24 years old, of undetermined 
sex. No known individual was identified. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects are recorded together as HR011 in the Human 
Remains Repository records. The 2 associated funerary objects include 
one lot of small blue and white glass seed trade beads and one lot of 
larger red, blue, and white lamp-wound glass trade beads.
    In 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals, 
were removed from an unknown site, located southwest of Laramie, Albany 
County, WY, by members of the University of Wyoming Department of 
Anthropology. The fragmentary human remains represent two Native 
American adults, one male (HR021) and one female (HR022), each 
approximately 50 years old. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual, were removed from an unknown site, located near Rock River 
in Albany County, WY. They have been housed at the Human Remains 
Repository since the mid-1980s. The human remains (HR096), which 
represent a Native American male, 35-40 years old, were found covered 
with a red pigment, possibly ocher. No known individual was identified. 
No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1959, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 48AB5, located approximately three miles 
southwest of Laramie, Albany County, WY, by personnel of the Wyoming 
Archaeological Survey Office. The human remains (HR097) were initially 
taken to the Wyoming State Museum and, in 1983, they were transferred 
to the Human Remains Repository. The fragmentary human remains 
represent a Native American male over the age of 50. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present. 
Based on fluorine dating performed in the 1960s, the individual 
probably dates to the Late Plains Archaic (3,000-2,000 years before 
present).
    In 1986, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 48AB458, located approximately 10 miles south-
southwest of Laramie, Albany County, WY, by personnel of the Wyoming 
Archaeological Survey Office and the University of Wyoming Department 
of Anthropology. The fragmentary human remains (HR115) represent a 
Native American male 19-24 years old. No known individual was 
identified. The 9 associated funerary objects include nine shell beads.
    In 1986, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 48AB459, located about three miles northeast of 
Woods Landing, Albany County, WY, by personnel of the Wyoming 
Archaeological Survey Office and the University of Wyoming Department 
of Anthropology. The site had been disturbed in 1984 by looters, who 
reportedly collected corner notched arrow points, bone beads, and a 
shell pendant from the site. The fragmentary human remains (HR136) 
represent a Native American female 50-69 years old. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    At some time in the 1960s, human remains representing, at minimum, 
one individual, were removed from an unknown site, located 
approximately 25 miles southwest of Laramie, Albany County, WY, near 
Jelm Mountain, by the landowner. The human remains (HR197) were given 
to the University of Wyoming Department of Anthropology in 1996. The 
fragmentary human remains represent a Native American child between the 
ages of two and three. No known individual was identified. The 4 
associated funerary objects include one lot of black, blue, white and 
red glass seed trade beads; one lot of white lamp-wound glass trade 
beads; one large abalone shell pendant; and one small abalone shell 
pendant.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from site 48AB458, located approximately 24 
miles north-northeast of Laramie, Albany County, WY. In 2010, the human 
remains were recovered by law enforcement from the individual who had 
excavated them illegally. The human remains (HR318) were released to 
the Human Remains Repository in 2016. The fragmentary human remains 
represent a Native American male approximately 45 years old. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present. 
Additional remains belonging to the individual were later recovered by 
personnel of the Albany County Coroner's Office and the University of 
Wyoming Anthropology Department and the presence of other Native 
American graves in the vicinity was noted.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from site 48CR105, located southeast of 
Saratoga, Carbon County, WY. The individuals who removed the human 
remains also reported finding glass trade beads and projectile points 
at the site. In approximately 1978, the human remains (HR009) were 
given to the Human Remains Repository. The fragmentary human remains 
represent a Native American male over the age of 50. No known 
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1977, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 48CR933, located approximately 16 miles 
northeast of Sinclair, Carbon County, WY, by the Office of the Wyoming 
State Archaeologist and relatives of the landowner. The human remains 
(HR057), within a bundle burial, were given to the Human Remains 
Repository by the landowner in 2004. The fragmentary human remains 
represent a Native American female over the age of 24. No known 
individual was identified. The 2 associated funerary objects include 
one lot of debitage and one lot of bone beads and bone bead fragments.
    Between 1960 and 1980, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from an unknown site, located near the town of 
McFadden, Carbon County, WY. The human remains (HR133) were given to 
the Human Remains Repository in 1986. The fragmentary human remains 
represent a Native American male 24-35

[[Page 20614]]

years old. No known individual was identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    In 1994, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 48CR5718, located approximately 10.5 miles 
northwest of the town of Medicine Bow, Carbon County, WY, by personnel 
of the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist and the University of 
Wyoming Department of Anthropology. The human remains (HR213) have been 
housed at the Human Remains Repository since that time. The fragmentary 
human remains represent a Native American male 45-55 years old. No 
known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 2012, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from an unknown site, located approximately three miles 
northwest of the town of Sinclair, Carbon County, WY, by the Carbon 
County Coroner's Office and the University of Wyoming Department of 
Anthropology. The human remains, probably belonging to a secondary 
bundle burial under a small cairn, washed out of the site where they 
had been interred when a flash flood caused an arroyo wall to collapse. 
The human remains (HR319) have been housed at the Human Remains 
Repository since that time. The fragmentary human remains represent a 
Native American male approximately 50 years old. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1986, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 8CO1829, located approximately 11 miles due 
south of Douglas, Converse County, WY. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were given to the Pioneer Museum in Douglas, which 
transferred them to the Human Remains Repository in 1992. The 
fragmentary human remains (HR188) represent a Native American female 
30-40 years old. No known individual was identified. The 83 funerary 
objects include 1 lot of thousands of blue, white, black, light yellow 
and red-white heart glass trade seed beads; 2 blue glass pony beads; 20 
white opaque lamp-wound glass beads; 4 shell beads and shell fragments; 
2 gilded metal buttons; 1 broken glass bottle stopper; 4 spring-like 
coils of brass or copper wire; 19 brass or copper wire bracelets; 1 
metal circular trade mirror back; 3 drilled and incised deer/antelope 
phalanges; 4 elk canine teeth; 1 fragmentary bison tooth; 3 baculite 
`buffalo stone' fossils; 1 elk horn hide scraper with metal bit; 1 
abalone shell pendant; 3 fragmentary metal knife blades; 1 complete 
metal knife without scales; 1 metal arrow point; 1 metal bridle buckle; 
1 metal bridle ring; 1 brass tube; 1 brass decorative metal piece; 1 
bone spatula; 2 flat hide burnishing stones; 1 metaquartzite hammer 
stone; 1 small ball-shaped stone; 1 lot broken bifaces and debitage; 
and 1 small lot of red, yellow, white, and black ocher.
    In 1974, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from site 48PL57, near the community of Shawnee in Platte 
County, WY, by personnel of the University of Wyoming Department of 
Anthropology. The human remains were at the Glendo Museum until 1996, 
when they were transferred to the Human Remains Repository. The 
fragmentary human remains (FC005) represent a Native American female 
60-70 years old. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    In the 1930s, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from site 48GO6, located on the south side of 
the North Platte River near the town of Lingle, Goshen County, WY. At 
that time, some of the remains of the individual were sent to the 
Wyoming State Museum, and the remainder were sent to the University of 
Wyoming Geology Department. In 1963, the Geology Department sent the 
remains of the individual under its control to the Anthropology 
Department and, in 1996, the Wyoming State Museum transferred the 
remains of the individual under its control to the Human Remains 
Repository. In 2006, the remains of the individual were reunited. The 
fragmentary human remains (HR004) represent a Native American female 
16-24 years old. No known individual was identified. The 15 funerary 
objects include 1 lot of blue, turquoise, red, white, green and red-
white heart glass trade seed beads; 1 lot of olivella shell beads; 1 
lot of dentalia shell beads; 2 abalone shell fragments; 1 glass button; 
1 lot of fabric and leather fragments; 1 lot of wood fragments; 1 iron 
buckle; 1 lot of rusted iron fragments; 2 black leather strap 
fragments; 1 lot of wire bracelets and bracelet fragments; 1 lot of 
copper or brass plate fragments; and 1 of lot brass buttons.
    In the 1970s, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from a crevasse burial site located 
approximately one half mile southeast of Crimson Dawn Butte on Casper 
Mountain, Natrona County, WY, by personnel of the Wyoming 
Archaeological Society. The human remains were transferred to the Human 
Remains Repository in the 1980s. The fragmentary human remains (HR200) 
represent a Native American female approximately 50 years old. No known 
individual was identified. The 2 funerary objects include 1 lot of 
slate heishi-style beads and 1 lot of bone beads.
    In 1972 or 1973, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from an unknown site located on the south side 
of the North Platte River in Natrona County, WY, by personnel of the 
Natrona County Sheriff's Office. The human remains (FC002) were 
transferred to the University of Wyoming Anthropology Department Human 
Remains Repository in 1973. The human remains represent a Native 
American male 40-50 years old. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In 1978 or 1979, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from site 48PL66, located approximately one 
half mile east of Gray Rocks Reservoir in Platte County, WY, by 
personnel of the Wyoming State Archaeologist's Office. The fragmentary 
human remains were transferred to the Human Remains Repository in the 
early 1980s. The fragmentary human remains represent a Native American 
male adult of indeterminate age. No known individual was identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    In the 1920s, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from a cairn site located on the south side of 
the Platte River in Platte or Converse County, WY. The human remains 
(HR139) were housed at the Wyoming State Museum and, in 1992, were 
transferred to the Human Remains Repository. The human remains 
represent a Native American female 2.5 to 3.5 years old. No known 
individual was identified. The 1 funerary object includes one cotton 
print dress with a beaded neckline of white glass trade seed beads.
    In 1985, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from a rock shelter located on the North Platte River in 
Platte County, WY, by personnel of the University of Wyoming Department 
of Anthropology. The fragmentary human remains (FC071) represent a 
Native American female approximately 50 years old. No known individual 
was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, one 
individual were removed from an

[[Page 20615]]

unknown location near Castle Rock in Platte County, WY. The human 
remains (HR216) were transferred to the Human Remains Repository in the 
late 1980s. The human remains represent a Native American adult of 
indeterminate sex. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    In the 1930s, human remains representing, at minimum, four 
individuals were removed from an unknown location near Torrington, 
Goshen County, WY. The human remains were given to the North Platte 
Police Department in Nebraska in 1994. The human remains were 
transferred to the Human Remains Repository in 1995 by the Lincoln 
County, NE., Coroner's office. The fragmentary human remains represent 
a Native American female 28-35 years old (DB145a); a Native American 
male, 28-35 years old (DB145b); a Native American child of 
indeterminate sex 3.5-6.5 years old (DB145c); and a Native American 
adult of indeterminate sex and age (DB145d). No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.

Determinations Made by the Human Remains Repository, Department of 
Anthropology, University of Wyoming

    Officials of the Human Remains Repository, Department of 
Anthropology, University of Wyoming have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on features of the skeletal 
elements or their archeological contexts.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 28 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 126 funerary objects 
described in this notice are reasonably believed to have been placed 
with or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as 
part of the death rite or ceremony.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and associated funerary objects and any present-day 
Indian tribe.
     According to final judgments of the Indian Claims 
Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the 
Native American human remains and associated funerary objects were 
removed is the aboriginal land of the Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River 
Reservation, Wyoming.
     Treaties, Acts of Congress, or Executive Orders, indicate 
that the land from which the Native American human remains and 
associated funerary objects were removed is the aboriginal land of the 
Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects may be to the Arapaho 
Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization 
not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control 
of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Dr. Rick 
L. Weathermon, Curator, Human Remains Repository, Department 3431, 
Anthropology, 1000 East University Avenue, University of Wyoming, 
Laramie, WY 82071, telephone (307) 314-2035, email rikw@uwyo.edu, by 
June 2, 2017. After that date, if no additional requestors have come 
forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects to the Arapaho Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, 
Wyoming, may proceed.
    The Human Remains Repository, Department of Anthropology, 
University of Wyoming, is responsible for notifying the Arapaho Tribe 
of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming, that this notice has been 
published.

    Dated: March 20, 2017.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2017-08868 Filed 5-2-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P