Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee: Meeting, 7180-7181 [2012-3145]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7180-7181]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3145]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[2253-665]


Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 
Committee: Meeting

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix (1988), of two meetings of the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee (Review 
Committee). The Review Committee will meet on November 28-29, 2012, in 
the Rasmuson Theater of the National Museum of the American Indian of 
the Smithsonian Institution, Fourth Street and Independence SW., 
Washington, DC 20001. This meeting will be open to the public.
    The agenda for the meeting in Washington, DC on November 28-29, 
2012, will include finalization of the Review Committee Report to 
Congress for 2012, the appointment of the subcommittee to draft the 
Review Committee's Report to the Congress for 2013, and discussion of 
the scope of the Reports; and National NAGPRA Program reports. In 
addition, the agenda may include requests to the Review Committee for a 
recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior, as required by law, in 
order to effect the agreed-upon disposition of Native American human 
remains determined to be culturally unidentifiable; presentations by 
Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, Federal 
agencies, and the public; requests to the Review

[[Page 7181]]

Committee, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3006 (c)(3), for review and findings 
of fact related to the identity or cultural affiliation of human 
remains or other cultural items, or the return of such items; and the 
hearing of disputes among parties convened by the Review Committee 
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3006 (c)(4). The agenda and materials for this 
meeting will be posted on or before October 29, 2012, at https://www.nps.gov/nagpra.
    The Review Committee is soliciting presentations by Indian tribes, 
Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, and Federal agencies on the 
following two topics: (1) The progress made, and any barriers 
encountered, in implementing NAGPRA and (2) the outcomes of disputes 
that have come before the Review Committee pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3006 
(c)(4). The Review Committee also will consider other presentations by 
Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, museums, Federal 
agencies, and the public. A presentation request must, at minimum, 
include an abstract of the presentation and contact information for the 
presenter(s). Presentation requests must be received by October 1, 
2012.
    The Review Committee will consider requests for a recommendation to 
the Secretary of the Interior, as required by law, in order to effect 
the agreed-upon disposition of Native American human remains determined 
to be culturally unidentifiable (CUI). A CUI disposition request must 
include the appropriate, completed form posted on the National NAGPRA 
Program Web site and, as applicable, the ancillary materials noted on 
the form. To access and download the appropriate form--either the form 
for CUI with a ``tribal land'' or ``aboriginal land'' provenience or 
the form for CUI without a ``tribal land'' or ``aboriginal land'' 
provenience--go to https://www.nps.gov/nagpra, and then click on 
``Request for CUI Disposition Form.'' CUI disposition requests must be 
received by September 21, 2012.
    The Review Committee will consider requests, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 
3006 (c)(3), for review and findings of fact related to the identity or 
cultural affiliation of human remains or other cultural items, or the 
return of such items, where consensus among affected parties is unclear 
or uncertain. A request for findings of fact must be accompanied by the 
completed form posted on the National NAGPRA Program Web site and, as 
applicable, the ancillary materials noted on the form. To access and 
download the form, go to https://www.nps.gov/nagpra, and then click on 
``Request for Findings of Fact (Not a Dispute) Form.'' Requests for 
findings of fact must be received by August 10, 2012.
    The Review Committee will consider requests, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 
3006 (c)(4), to convene parties and facilitate a dispute, where 
consensus clearly has not been reached among affected parties regarding 
the identity or cultural affiliation of human remains or other cultural 
items, or the return of such items. A request to convene parties and 
facilitate a dispute must be accompanied by the completed form posted 
on the National NAGPRA Program Web site and, as applicable, the 
ancillary materials noted on the form. To access and download the form, 
go to https://www.nps.gov/nagpra, and then click on ``Request to Convene 
Parties and Facilitate a Dispute Form.'' Requests to convene parties 
and facilitate a dispute must be received by July 16, 2012.
    Submissions may be made in one of three ways:
    1. Electronically, as an attachment to a message (preferred for 
submissions of 10 pages or less). Electronic submissions are to be sent 
to: Sherry_Hutt@nps.gov
    2. By mail, on a single compact disc (preferred for submissions of 
more than 10 pages). Mailed submissions are to be sent to: Designated 
Federal Officer, NAGPRA Review Committee, National Park Service, 
National NAGPRA Program, 1201 Eye Street NW., 8th Floor (2253), 
Washington, DC 20005.
    3. By mail, in hard copy.
    Such items are subject to posting on the National NAGPRA Program 
Web site prior to the meeting. Items submitted at the meeting are 
subject to posting after the meeting.
    Information about NAGPRA, the Review Committee, and Review 
Committee meetings is available on the National NAGPRA Program Web 
site, at https://www.nps.gov/nagpra. For the Review Committee's meeting 
procedures, click on ``Review Committee,'' then click on 
``Procedures.'' Meeting minutes may be accessed by going to the Web 
site; then clicking on ``Review Committee;'' and then clicking on 
``Meeting Minutes.'' Approximately fourteen weeks after each Review 
Committee meeting, the meeting transcript is posted for a limited time 
on the National NAGPRA Program Web site.
    Notice is also given of a meeting via teleconference to be held on 
December 6, 2012, from 2 p.m. until approximately 4 p.m. EST, for the 
sole purpose of finalizing the Review Committee Report to Congress, 
should the item not be resolved by November 29, 2012. This meeting will 
be open to the public. Those who desire to attend the meeting should 
contact NAGPRA@rap.midco.net, between November 30 and December 4, 2012, 
to be provided the telephone access number for the meeting. A 
transcript and minutes of the meeting will also appear on the National 
NAGPRA Program Web site: https://www.nps.gov/nagpra. An updated agenda 
will post to the Web site November 30, 2012.
    The Review Committee was established in Section 8 of the Native 
American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA), 25 
U.S.C. 3006. Review Committee members are appointed by the Secretary of 
the Interior. The Review Committee is responsible for monitoring the 
NAGPRA inventory and identification process; reviewing and making 
findings related to the identity or cultural affiliation of cultural 
items, or the return of such items; facilitating the resolution of 
disputes; compiling an inventory of culturally unidentifiable human 
remains that are in the possession or control of each Federal agency 
and museum, and recommending specific actions for developing a process 
for disposition of such human remains; consulting with Indian tribes 
and Native Hawaiian organizations and museums on matters affecting such 
tribes or organizations lying within the scope of work of the 
Committee; consulting with the Secretary of the Interior on the 
development of regulations to carry out NAGPRA; and making 
recommendations regarding future care of repatriated cultural items. 
The Review Committee's work is carried out during the course of 
meetings that are open to the public.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: February 6, 2012.
Sherry Hutt,
Designated Federal Officer, Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Review Committee.
[FR Doc. 2012-3145 Filed 2-9-12; 8:45 am]
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