Notice of Intent to Repatriate a Cultural Item: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM, and Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 44687 [05-15322]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 44687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15322]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent to Repatriate a Cultural Item: U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM, 
and Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves 
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent 
to repatriate a cultural item in the control of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM, and 
in the possession of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 
that meets the definition of ``unassociated funerary object'' under 25 
U.S.C. 3001. The cultural item was removed from the Gila National 
Forest, Catron County, NM.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d)(3). 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the cultural 
item. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.
    The cultural item is a turquoise pendant consisting of 19 small 
pieces of perforated turquoise.
    A detailed assessment of the cultural item was made by U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest and 
Field Museum of Natural History professional staff in consultation with 
the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe 
of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.
    In 1939, one turquoise pendant was removed from the SU site in the 
Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM, during legally authorized 
excavations and collected by Dr. Paul S. Martin of the Field Museum, 
Chicago, IL.
    Material culture, architecture and site organization indicate that 
the SU site is an Upland Mogollon pithouse village occupied between 
A.D. 450 and 500. The territory of the Upland Mogollon stretched from 
south-central Arizona to south-central New Mexico. The Upland Mogollon 
territories are claimed, currently inhabited, or used by the Hopi Tribe 
of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni 
Reservation, New Mexico. Villages had pithouses or pueblo-style houses. 
Most archeological evidence linking Upland Mogollon to present-day 
tribes relies on ceramics that suggest the early establishment of 
brownware producing groups. Present-day descendants of the Upland 
Mogollon are the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; 
and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. Oral traditions 
presented by representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of 
Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico 
support cultural affiliation.
    Additional unassociated funerary objects removed from Gila National 
Forest, Catron County, NM, were published in a Notice of Intent to 
Repatriate Cultural Items in the Federal Register of June 1, 2005, FR 
Doc 05-10805, page 31510.
    Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 
Gila National Forest have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 
(3)(B), the one cultural item described above is 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 and are believed, 
by a preponderance of the evidence, to have been removed from a 
specific burial site of a Native American individual. Officials of the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest 
also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), there is a 
relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced 
between the unassociated funerary object and the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; 
Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, 
New Mexico.
    Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to 
be culturally affiliated with this unassociated funerary object should 
contact Dr. Frank E. Wozniak, NAGPRA Coordinator, Southwestern Region, 
USDA Forest Service, 333 Broadway Blvd., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, 
telephone (505) 842-3238, before September 2, 2005. Repatriation of 
this unassociated funerary object to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo 
of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 
Mexico may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come 
forward.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National 
Forest is responsible for notifying the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo 
of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 
Mexico that this notice has been published.

    Dated: July 13, 2005
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 05-15322 Filed 8-2-05; 8:45 am]
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