Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ, 27923-27924 [2014-11229]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 94 (Thursday, May 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27923-27924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11229]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-15437; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Museum of Northern Arizona, 
Flagstaff, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Museum of Northern Arizona 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 a cultural affiliation between the human 
remains and associated funerary object and present-day Indian tribes or 
Native Hawaiian organizations. Lineal descendants or 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 object should submit a written request to the 
Museum of Northern Arizona. If no additional requestors come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains and funerary object to the 
lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations 
stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Lineal descendants or 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 object should submit a written request with information in 
support of the request to the Museum of Northern Arizona at the address 
in this notice by June 16, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Elaine Hughes, Collection Manager, Museum of Northern 
Arizona, 3103 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, telephone 
(928) 774-5211, email ehughes@mna.mus.az.us.

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 object under the control of the Museum of Northern 
Arizona. The human remains and associated funerary object were removed 
from an unknown archeological site in Coconino County, AZ.
    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 Native 
American human remains and associated funerary object. 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 Coconino 
National Forest and Museum of Northern Arizona professional staff in 
consultation with representatives of the Havasupai Tribe of the 
Havasupai Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Hualapai Indian 
Tribe of the

[[Page 27924]]

Hualapai Indian Reservation, Arizona; Navajo Nation of Arizona, New 
Mexico & Utah; Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe; and the Zuni Tribe of the 
Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1939, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from private or state-owned lands in Coconino County, AZ, 
by private individuals without permission or knowledge of the 
landowners. Records of the removal provide substantive evidence that 
the human remains and associated funerary object were recovered from a 
prehistoric archeological site. Due to the interspersed nature of the 
private and state land parcels in this area and the casual nature of 
the excavation records, it is not possible to accurately establish the 
location of the site from which they were removed. In 1981, the human 
remains and associated funerary object were donated to the Museum of 
Northern Arizona. The associate funerary object is one ceramic vessel.
    The human remains and associated funerary object were removed from 
a site related to the Northern Sinagua archeological culture. The 
Museum of Northern Arizona is using the cultural affiliation study 
completed by the USDA Forest Service in 1996 for prehistoric 
archeological remains in Coconino County, AZ, including lands directly 
adjacent to this site. Based on evidence relevant to archeological, 
anthropological, biological, geographical, oral traditions/folklore and 
kinship, the USDA Forest Service established that the Northern Sinagua 
were most closely affiliated with the modern Hopi Tribe of Arizona. In 
reviewing the 1996 USDA cultural affiliation study, as well as 
pertinent literature in the site records at the Museum of Northern 
Arizona and a study of the human remains and associated funerary 
object, the Museum of Northern Arizona concurs that the objects are 
most closely affiliated with the modern Hopi Tribe of Arizona.

Determinations Made by the Museum of Northern Arizona

    Officials of the Museum of Northern Arizona have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the one object described 
in this notice 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.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native 
American human remains and associated funerary object and the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or 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 funerary object 
should submit a written request with information in support of the 
request to Elaine Hughes, Collection Manager, Museum of Northern 
Arizona, 3103 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, telephone 
(928) 774-5211, email ehughes@mna.mus.az.us, by June 16, 2014. After 
that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of 
control of the human remains and associated funerary object to the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona may proceed.
    The Museum of Northern Arizona is responsible for notifying the 
Havasupai Tribe of the Havasupai Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona; Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation, 
Arizona; Navajo Nation of Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; Yavapai-Prescott 
Indian Tribe; and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico, 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 31, 2014.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-11229 Filed 5-14-14; 8:45 am]
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