Notice of Inventory Completion: Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 27929-27931 [2014-11243]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 94 / Thursday, May 15, 2014 / Notices
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.
TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the human
remains was made by the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Department of
Anthropology professional staff in
consultation with representatives of the
Forest County Potawatomi Community,
Wisconsin; Ho-Chunk Nation of
Wisconsin; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of
Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the
Lac du Flambeau Reservation of
Wisconsin; Menominee Indian Tribe of
Wisconsin; Sokaogon Chippewa
Community, Wisconsin; and the
Stockbridge Munsee Community,
Wisconsin. The following tribes were
invited to consult but did not
participate: The Bad River Band of the
Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa
Indians of the Bad River Reservation,
Wisconsin; Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake)
of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota; Fond du Lac Band of the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota;
Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community, Michigan; Lac
Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Leech
Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa
Tribe, Minnesota; Mille Lacs Band of
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota; Red Cliff Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa Indians of
Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians
of Wisconsin; and the White Earth Band
of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota.
History and Description of the Remains
Sometime before March 29, 1957,
human remains representing, at
minimum, two individuals were
removed from an unknown site in
Lincoln County, WI. The University of
Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison)
accessioned these human remains on
March 29, 1957, with a handwritten
note that states the remains were
recovered by ‘‘state police’’ and
examined by the Wisconsin Crime
Laboratory. Catalog cards indicate that
the human remains came from Lincoln
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County, in the vicinity of Tomahawk,
WI. The human remains represent a
male mid-age adult and an adult of
indeterminate sex. No known
individuals were identified. The six
associated funerary objects are 2 quartz
flakes, 2 additional flakes, and 2 pieces
of float copper.
Determinations Made by the University
of Wisconsin-Madison Department of
Anthropology
Officials of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Department of
Anthropology have determined that:
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
are Native American based on their
examination by a physical
anthropologist and their recovery from
an archeological site with prehistoric
artifacts.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
represent the physical remains of two
individuals of Native American
ancestry.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A),
the six 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.
• 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 Bad River Band of the Lake Superior
Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad
River Reservation, Wisconsin; Bay Mills
Indian Community, Michigan; Bois
Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; ChippewaCree Indians of the Rocky Boy’s
Reservation, Montana; Fond du Lac
Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota; Grand Portage Band of the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota;
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community,
Michigan; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of
Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the
Lac du Flambeau Reservation of
Wisconsin; Leech Lake Band of the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota;
Mille Lacs Band of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Red Cliff
Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Indians of Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of
Chippewa Indians, Minnesota; Saginaw
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Fmt 4703
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27929
Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan;
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians, Michigan; Sokaogon Chippewa
Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Turtle
Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of
North Dakota; and the White Earth Band
of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota (hereafter referred to as ‘‘The
Tribes’’).
• Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the
disposition of the human remains and
associated funerary objects may be to
The Tribes.
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 Sissel Schroeder, University
of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of
Anthropology, 1180 Observatory Drive,
5240 Social Sciences Building,
Madison, WI 53706, telephone (608)
262–0317, email sschroeder2@wisc.edu,
by June 16, 2014. After that date, if no
additional requestors have come
forward, transfer of control of the
human remains and associated funerary
objects to The Tribes may proceed.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Anthropology is
responsible for notifying The Tribes that
this notice has been published.
Dated: March 31, 2014.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014–11234 Filed 5–14–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–15441;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion:
Beneski Museum of Natural History,
Amherst College, Amherst, MA
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Beneski Museum of
Natural History, Amherst College
(formerly the Pratt Museum of Natural
History) has completed an inventory of
human remains, 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 present-day Indian tribes or Native
Hawaiian organizations. Lineal
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\15MYN1.SGM
15MYN1
27930
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 94 / Thursday, May 15, 2014 / Notices
TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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 should submit
a written request to the Beneski
Museum of Natural History, Amherst
College. If no additional requestors
come forward, transfer of control of the
human remains 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 should submit a written
request with information in support of
the request to the Beneski Museum of
Natural History, Amherst College at the
address in this notice by June 16, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Tekla A. Harms, NAGPRA
Coordinator, Beneski Museum of
Natural History, Amherst College,
Amherst, MA 01002, telephone (413)
542–2711, email taharms@amherst.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 under the control of
the Beneski Museum of Natural History,
Amherst College, Amherst, MA. The
human remains were removed from the
towns of Easthampton in Hampshire
County, MA, and Greenfield in Franklin
County, MA.
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. 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 NAGPRA
Coordinator and museum staff of the
Beneski Museum of Natural History,
Amherst College, working with the
professional staff of the University of
Massachusetts Amherst, Department of
Anthropology, in consultation with
representatives of the Mashantucket
Pequot Indian Tribe (previously listed
as the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of
Connecticut); Mashpee Wampanoag
Indian Tribe (previously listed as the
Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal
Council, Inc.); Mohegan Indian Tribe of
Connecticut; Narragansett Indian Tribe;
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18:18 May 14, 2014
Jkt 232001
Stockbridge Munsee Community,
Wisconsin; Wampanoag Tribe of Gay
Head (Aquinnah); and non-Federally
recognized Indian groups, including
Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St.
Francis/Sokoki Band, VT; Abenaki
Nation of New Hampshire; Cowasuck
Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People,
NH; Elnu Tribe of the Abenaki, VT;
Koasek (Cowasuck) Traditional Band of
the Koas Abenaki Nation, VT; Koasek
Traditional Band of the Sovereign
Abenaki Nation, VT; Nulhegan Band of
the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, VT; and
Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck and
Nipmuc Nation, MA. Representatives of
the University of Massachusetts
Amherst, Department of Anthropology,
on behalf of the Beneski Museum of
Natural History, Amherst College, also
contacted but did not consult with the
non-Federally recognized Indian groups
Schaghticoke Indian Tribe and
Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, CT.
History and Description of the Remains
In 1871, human remains representing,
at minimum, four individuals were
removed from a site in the town of
Easthampton at the north end of Mt
Tom, in Hampshire County, MA. The
remains were excavated during
construction for a railroad and were
donated to Amherst College by Horatio
N. Rust sometime before 1916. The
human remains include four crania or
partial crania, cranial fragments, and
several teeth, along with one postcranial skeletal element, best identified
as two adults and two children.
Contemporaneous catalog entries
indicate the remains were understood at
the time of excavation to be Native
American and to represent burial sites
of the indigenous population. These
human remains have been identified as
Nonotuck. No known individuals were
identified. No associated funerary
objects are present.
In 1916, human remains representing,
at minimum, one individual were
removed from the Cheapside site in the
town of Greenfield, Franklin County,
MA. This individual was encountered
during railroad construction and
removed by Ralph Wheaton Whipple of
Amherst College, working in
collaboration with Harris Hawthorne
Wilder of Smith College. The individual
is represented by post-cranial skeletal
elements with some burial dirt attached
and is best identified as an adult male
over the age of 50. Records suggest that
the skeleton was at Smith College in
1941, but held at Amherst College at all
other times. Contemporaneous field
notes and a publication (American
Anthropologist, 1917) indicate the
remains were understood at the time of
PO 00000
Frm 00094
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
excavation to be Native American and to
represent burial sites of the indigenous
population. These remains are
identified as Pocumtuck. No known
individual was identified. No associated
funerary objects are present.
Multiple lines of evidence—guided by
tribal consultations—including
geographic location, maps, oral
tradition, linguistic, and historical
records demonstrate a shared group
identity between the human remains in
this notice and the Narragansett Indian
Tribe; Stockbridge Munsee Community,
Wisconsin; Wampanoag Tribe of Gay
Head (Aquinnah) (hereafter referred to
as ‘‘The Tribes’’); and non-Federally
recognized Indian groups, including
Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St.
Francis/Sokoki Band, VT; Abenaki
Nation of New Hampshire; Cowasuck
Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People,
NH; Elnu Tribe of the Abenaki, VT;
Koasek (Cowasuck) Traditional Band of
the Koas Abenaki Nation, VT; Koasek
Traditional Band of the Sovereign
Abenaki Nation, VT; Nulhegan Band of
the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, VT; and
Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck and
Nipmuc Nation, MA (hereafter referred
to as ‘‘The Indian Groups’’).
Determinations Made by the Beneski
Museum of Natural History, Amherst
College
Officials of the Beneski Museum of
Natural History, Amherst College
(formerly the Pratt Museum of Natural
History) have determined that:
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
represent the physical remains of five
individuals of Native American
ancestry.
• 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 The Tribes and The Indian
Groups.
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 should submit
a written request with information in
support of the request to Tekla A.
Harms, NAGPRA Coordinator, Beneski
Museum of Natural History, Amherst
College, Amherst, MA 01002, telephone
(413) 542–2711, email taharms@
amherst.edu by June 16, 2014. After that
date, if no additional requestors have
come forward, transfer of control of the
human remains to The Tribes may
proceed.
E:\FR\FM\15MYN1.SGM
15MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 94 / Thursday, May 15, 2014 / Notices
The Beneski Museum of Natural
History, Amherst College is responsible
for notifying The Tribes and The Indian
Groups that this notice has been
published.
Dated: April 2, 2014.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014–11243 Filed 5–14–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–15408;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion:
University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Department of Anthropology, Madison,
WI
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The University of WisconsinMadison Department of Anthropology
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 University of WisconsinMadison Department of Anthropology.
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 University of WisconsinMadison Department of Anthropology at
the address in this notice by June 16,
2014.
ADDRESSES: Sissel Schroeder, University
of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of
Anthropology, 1180 Observatory Drive,
5240 Social Sciences Building,
Madison, WI 53706, telephone (608)
262–0317, email sschroeder2@wisc.edu.
TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:18 May 14, 2014
Jkt 232001
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
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Anthropology, Madison,
WI. The human remains and associated
funerary objects were removed from
Portage County, WI.
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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the human
remains was made by the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Department of
Anthropology professional staff in
consultation with representatives of the
Forest County Potawatomi Community,
Wisconsin; Ho-Chunk Nation of
Wisconsin; Lac Courte Oreilles Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of
Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the
Lac du Flambeau Reservation of
Wisconsin; Menominee Indian Tribe of
Wisconsin; Sokaogon Chippewa
Community, Wisconsin; and the
Stockbridge Munsee Community,
Wisconsin. The following tribes were
invited to consult but did not
participate: The Bad River Band of the
Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa
Indians of the Bad River Reservation,
Wisconsin; Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake)
of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota; Fond du Lac Band of the
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota;
Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota; Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community, Michigan; Lac
Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa Indians of Michigan; Leech
Lake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa
Tribe, Minnesota; Mille Lacs Band of
the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota; Red Cliff Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa Indians of
Wisconsin; St. Croix Chippewa Indians
of Wisconsin; and the White Earth Band
of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe,
Minnesota.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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27931
History and Description of the Remains
In 1966, human remains representing,
at minimum, 11 individuals were
removed from the Bigelow-Hamilton
site, in Portage County, WI, by William
Hurley as part of his dissertation
research under the direction of David A.
Baerreis at the University of WisconsinMadison (UW-Madison). The site was
first documented in the 1800s,
excavated numerous times through the
early-mid 1900s, and severely modified
by both natural and cultural processes.
The site consists of a series of conical,
effigy, and linear mounds, as well as
habitation areas. These human remains
were removed from Mounds 9, A, B, Q,
and R and have been curated at UWMadison since the time of excavation.
No known individuals were identified.
The 60 associated funerary objects are:
From Mound 9, Burial 3, 9 silicified
sandstone triangular points; from
Mound 9, Burial 4, 1 lot fragmentary
material that includes a grit-tempered
prehistoric sherd; from Mound A, Burial
3, 1 iron knife; from Mound A, Burial
5, 1 worked deer antler, 1 beaver
incisor, 1 silicified sandstone triangular
projectile point, 1 lot of shell fragments,
and 1 lot of small, fragmentary objects
containing a small seed bead; from
Mound B, Burial 4, 1 lot of white seeds
or compound beads, 1 strike-a-light, 1
gun flint, 1 lot of square-cut iron nails,
1 lot of fragments including human hair
and beads, 5 large stone fragments, 3
grit-tempered prehistoric pottery sherds,
2 small silicified sandstone flakes, 1 lot
of small fragments of non-human animal
bones, 1 lot of fragments including
metal pins and preserved fabric, and 1
lot of miscellaneous beads and nails;
from Mound B, Burial 7, 1 lot of white
seeds or compound beads, 1 small silver
pin, 1 coat button, 1 lot of square-cut
nails and wood fragments, 1 metal knife
with a wooden handle, 1 sewn birchbark sheath, 1 ‘TD’ style white kaolin
pipe, 1 glass mirror, 5 brass buttons, 1
fork, 1 woven wool pouch with beads
and hematite, 1 lot of small fragments of
red ochre, and 1 lot of small stone
fragments, nails, and shells; from
Mound B, Burial 11, 1 lot of glass seeds
or composite white beads, 2 fragmentary
metal broaches, 1 strike-a-light or coffin
handle, 1 gunflint with textile and wood
fragments, 1 brass circular pin, 1 lot of
miscellaneous lithic and small
prehistoric pottery fragments, and 2
cubes of galena. The site dates from the
Late Woodland Period (ca. A.D. 800–
1050) and the Historic Native American
Period (ca. A.D. 1790–1848).
E:\FR\FM\15MYN1.SGM
15MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 94 (Thursday, May 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27929-27931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11243]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-15441; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Beneski Museum of Natural
History, Amherst College, Amherst, MA
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College
(formerly the Pratt Museum of Natural History) has completed an
inventory of human remains, 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 present-day
Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Lineal
[[Page 27930]]
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 should submit a written
request to the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College. If
no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human
remains 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 should submit a
written request with information in support of the request to the
Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College at the address in
this notice by June 16, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Tekla A. Harms, NAGPRA Coordinator, Beneski Museum of
Natural History, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, telephone (413)
542-2711, email taharms@amherst.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 under
the control of the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College,
Amherst, MA. The human remains were removed from the towns of
Easthampton in Hampshire County, MA, and Greenfield in Franklin County,
MA.
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. 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 NAGPRA
Coordinator and museum staff of the Beneski Museum of Natural History,
Amherst College, working with the professional staff of the University
of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Anthropology, in consultation
with representatives of the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Tribe
(previously listed as the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut);
Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe (previously listed as the Mashpee
Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.); Mohegan Indian Tribe of
Connecticut; Narragansett Indian Tribe; Stockbridge Munsee Community,
Wisconsin; Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah); and non-Federally
recognized Indian groups, including Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St.
Francis/Sokoki Band, VT; Abenaki Nation of New Hampshire; Cowasuck Band
of the Pennacook-Abenaki People, NH; Elnu Tribe of the Abenaki, VT;
Koasek (Cowasuck) Traditional Band of the Koas Abenaki Nation, VT;
Koasek Traditional Band of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation, VT; Nulhegan
Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, VT; and Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck
and Nipmuc Nation, MA. Representatives of the University of
Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Anthropology, on behalf of the
Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College, also contacted but
did not consult with the non-Federally recognized Indian groups
Schaghticoke Indian Tribe and Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, CT.
History and Description of the Remains
In 1871, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals
were removed from a site in the town of Easthampton at the north end of
Mt Tom, in Hampshire County, MA. The remains were excavated during
construction for a railroad and were donated to Amherst College by
Horatio N. Rust sometime before 1916. The human remains include four
crania or partial crania, cranial fragments, and several teeth, along
with one post-cranial skeletal element, best identified as two adults
and two children. Contemporaneous catalog entries indicate the remains
were understood at the time of excavation to be Native American and to
represent burial sites of the indigenous population. These human
remains have been identified as Nonotuck. No known individuals were
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
In 1916, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual
were removed from the Cheapside site in the town of Greenfield,
Franklin County, MA. This individual was encountered during railroad
construction and removed by Ralph Wheaton Whipple of Amherst College,
working in collaboration with Harris Hawthorne Wilder of Smith College.
The individual is represented by post-cranial skeletal elements with
some burial dirt attached and is best identified as an adult male over
the age of 50. Records suggest that the skeleton was at Smith College
in 1941, but held at Amherst College at all other times.
Contemporaneous field notes and a publication (American Anthropologist,
1917) indicate the remains were understood at the time of excavation to
be Native American and to represent burial sites of the indigenous
population. These remains are identified as Pocumtuck. No known
individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
Multiple lines of evidence--guided by tribal consultations--
including geographic location, maps, oral tradition, linguistic, and
historical records demonstrate a shared group identity between the
human remains in this notice and the Narragansett Indian Tribe;
Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
(Aquinnah) (hereafter referred to as ``The Tribes''); and non-Federally
recognized Indian groups, including Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St.
Francis/Sokoki Band, VT; Abenaki Nation of New Hampshire; Cowasuck Band
of the Pennacook-Abenaki People, NH; Elnu Tribe of the Abenaki, VT;
Koasek (Cowasuck) Traditional Band of the Koas Abenaki Nation, VT;
Koasek Traditional Band of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation, VT; Nulhegan
Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, VT; and Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuck
and Nipmuc Nation, MA (hereafter referred to as ``The Indian Groups'').
Determinations Made by the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst
College
Officials of the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College
(formerly the Pratt Museum of Natural History) have determined that:
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice represent the physical remains of five individuals of
Native American ancestry.
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 The Tribes and The Indian Groups.
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 should submit a
written request with information in support of the request to Tekla A.
Harms, NAGPRA Coordinator, Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst
College, Amherst, MA 01002, telephone (413) 542-2711, email
taharms@amherst.edu by June 16, 2014. After that date, if no additional
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains
to The Tribes may proceed.
[[Page 27931]]
The Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College is
responsible for notifying The Tribes and The Indian Groups that this
notice has been published.
Dated: April 2, 2014.
Sherry Hutt,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2014-11243 Filed 5-14-14; 8:45 am]
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