Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, Reno, NV, 71760-71762 [2016-25128]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
71760
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 201 / Tuesday, October 18, 2016 / Notices
wild horses gathered from Herd
Management Areas burned in the Soda
Fire, the Soda Fire fuel breaks
Environmental Assessment, and the
Paradigm Fuel Breaks project process.
The RAC’s subcommittee on the
proposed Tri-State Fuels Breaks Project
will provide a report about their final
meeting. BLM staff will provide an
update on the Gateway West Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement. Agenda items and location
may be modified due to changing
circumstances.
The public may present written or
oral comments to members of the
Council. At each full RAC meeting, time
is provided in the agenda for hearing
public comments. Depending on the
number of persons wishing to comment
and time available, the time for
individual oral comments may be
limited. Individuals who plan to attend
and need special assistance should
contact the BLM Coordinator as
provided above. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
to contact Mr. Flanigan. The FIRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question with Mr.
Flanigan. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
Dated: October 5, 2016.
Lara Douglas,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2016–25114 Filed 10–17–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–IMR–BITH–21364;
PS.SIMLA0001.00.1]
The map depicting this
boundary revision is available for
inspection at the following locations:
National Park Service, Land Resources
Program Center, Intermountain Region,
12795 West Alameda Parkway, Denver,
Colorado 80228 and National Park
Service, Department of the Interior,
1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC
20240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chief Realty Officer Steve Muyskens,
National Park Service, Land Resources
Program Center, Intermountain Region,
12795 West Alameda Parkway, Denver,
Colorado 80228, telephone (303) 969–
2610.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given that, pursuant to section 1
of the Act of October 11, 1974 (Pub. L.
93–439, 88 Stat. 1254), codified as
amended at 16 U.S.C. 698, the boundary
of Big Thicket National Preserve is
modified to include ten tracts of lands
listed as follows: Tract 127–10 (1.72
acres); Tract 134–07 (114.45 acres);
Tract 172–10 (18 acres); Tract 215–04
(.57-acre); Tract 219–17 (11.60 acres);
Tract 219–18 (360.97 acres); Tract 219–
19 (29.03 acres); Tract 222–08 (1 acre);
Tract 223–14 (118.65 acres) and Tract
229–06 (166.49 acres) for a total of
822.48 acres. The boundary revision is
depicted on Map No. 175/120,858 dated
April 18, 2016.
16 U.S.C. 698 provides that, after
notifying the House Committee on
Natural Resources and the Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources, the Secretary of the Interior
is authorized to make this boundary
revision upon publication of notice in
the Federal Register. The Committees
have been notified of this boundary
revision.
ADDRESSES:
Dated: October 7, 2016.
Sue Masica,
Regional Director, Intermountain Region.
Minor Boundary Revision at Big
Thicket National Preserve
National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notification of boundary
revision.
[FR Doc. 2016–25179 Filed 10–17–16; 8:45 am]
The boundary of Big Thicket
National Preserve is modified to include
ten tracts totaling 822.48 acres of land.
These lands are located in Hardin
County, Liberty County, Orange County
and Tyler County, Texas, immediately
adjacent to the boundary of the
preserve. Subsequent to the publication
of this notice, the United States will
acquire fee title to those tracts of land
by donation from several nonprofit
conservation organizations and an
individual donor.
DATES: The effective date of this
boundary revision is October 18, 2016.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
AGENCY:
Lhorne on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:19 Oct 17, 2016
Jkt 241001
BILLING CODE 4312–CB–P
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–22110;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management, Nevada State
Office, Reno, NV
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Department of the
Interior, Bureau of Land Management
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(BLM), Nevada State Office, has
completed an inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects
recovered from Spirit Cave, NV, 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 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 the human
remains and associated funerary objects
should submit a written request to the
BLM. If no additional requestors come
forward, transfer of control of the
human remains and associated funerary
objects from Spirit Cave may proceed.
DATES: Representatives of any Indian
tribe or Native Hawaiian organization
that wish to request transfer of control
of the human remains and associated
funerary objects from Spirit Cave should
submit a written request with
information in support of the request to
the BLM Nevada State Office, at the
address in this notice by November 17,
2016.
ADDRESSES: John Ruhs, State Director,
Bureau of Land Management, Nevada
State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard,
Reno, NV 89502–7147, telephone (775)
861–6590, email jruhs@blm.gov.
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
BLM Nevada State Office, Reno, NV.
The human remains and associated
funerary objects were removed from
Spirit Cave in Churchill County, NV.
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 objects. The
National Park Service is not responsible
for the determinations in this notice.
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the human
remains and associated funerary objects
was made by the BLM Nevada State
Office professional staff in consultation
with representatives of the Comanche
Nation, Oklahoma; Confederated Tribes
of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and
Utah; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the
E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM
18OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 201 / Tuesday, October 18, 2016 / Notices
Lhorne on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES
Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Ely
Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Fort
McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes
of the Fort McDermitt Indian
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Las
Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las
Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock
Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian
Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute
Indians of the Moapa River Indian
Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone
Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and
Colony, Nevada; Pyramid Lake Paiute
Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation,
Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony,
Nevada; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the
Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada;
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada;
Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone
Indians of Nevada (Four constituent
bands: Battle Mountain Band; Elko
Band; South Fork Band and Wells
Band); Walker River Paiute Tribe of the
Walker River Reservation, Nevada;
Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California
(Carson Colony, Dresslerville Colony,
Woodfords Community, Stewart
Community, & Washoe Ranches);
Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada;
Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington
Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada; and
Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba
Reservation, Nevada.
History and Description of the Remains
In 1940, human remains representing,
at minimum, four individuals and 10
associated funerary objects were
removed from Spirit Cave in Churchill
County, NV, on lands then owned by
the United States and now administered
by the BLM Nevada State Office. Sydney
and Georgia Wheeler located Spirit Cave
during salvage excavations conducted
by the Nevada State Parks Commission
in and around the Lahontan Basin of
western Nevada and made collections
from the site. This ‘‘Spirit Cave
Assemblage’’ was then curated at the
Nevada State Museum in Carson City,
NV. The human remains consist of one
intact, well-preserved mummified
skeleton of an adult male, aged 40–44
years (Spirit Cave Burial #2; NSM
Catalog # Ahur 2064; commonly
referred to as the ‘‘Spirit Cave
mummy’’); one cremation burial (NSM
Catalog #’s Ahur 752 and Ahur 773);
one adult female, aged 30–35 years
(NSM # Ahur 770); and a subadult male,
aged approximately 15 years (NSM #
Ahur 748). No known individuals were
identified. The 10 associated funerary
objects are one outer mat, one inner mat,
two leather moccasins, one rabbit skin
blanket, three woven bags, and two mat
fragments. Radiocarbon dating estimates
the age of the human remains to be
between 5,400 to 10,600 years ago.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:19 Oct 17, 2016
Jkt 241001
DNA analysis illustrates that the
human remains in the Spirit Cave
Assemblage are effectively more closely
related to Native Americans than they
are to any other population. The
associated funerary objects contained
within the Spirit Cave Assemblage
manifest characteristics of Native
American ancestry, including a rabbit
skin blanket, moccasins, and woven
mats. These cultural items are
consistent with the raw materials used
and the general types of items
manufactured throughout the prehistory
of the Great Basin. Therefore, the BLM
Nevada State Office has determined that
the human remains are Native
American.
While there are similarities in
material culture between items buried
with the individuals that are part of the
Spirit Cave Assemblage and the
Northern Paiute peoples, such as the
rabbit skin blanket, these similarities are
at a general Numic pattern within the
Great Basin that includes many tribes
(‘‘Numic pattern’’ refers to items or
objects similarly made by multiple
tribes of Paiute, Shoshone, Ute, and
Goshute peoples who all share a
common language group). The
manufacturing of rabbit skin blankets,
woven mats, and moccasins are all
material items made by multiple tribes
across the Great Basin, both past and
present. Oral tradition suggests that
while the Northern Paiute tribes
originated in the region from which
Spirit Cave is located, at least one other
non-Paiute tribe once occupied the
region as well. The available
archeological and material culture
evidence suggests that the Northern
Paiute peoples and their associated
modern tribes may have occupied the
central Great Basin by 3,000 years ago,
although there is no similar evidence
which places them in the western Great
Basin at this time. The DNA results also
do not provide evidence that the Spirit
Cave individuals were a distinct
biological group from other groups of
that age. Additionally, the age and small
sample size of the Spirit Cave
Assemblage does not provide sufficient
evidence from which BLM can
determine that the Spirit Cave
individuals were part of a an
identifiable earlier cultural group,
pursuant to NAGPRA 43 CFR
10.14(c)(2). BLM cannot determine
cultural affiliation of the Spirit Cave
Assemblage.
Determinations Made by the BLM
Nevada State Office
Officials of the BLM Nevada State
Office have determined that:
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
71761
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
are Native American.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the
human remains described in this notice
represent the physical remains of four
individuals of Native American
ancestry.
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A),
the 10 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 judgements of
the Indian Claims Commission, the land
from which the Native American human
remains and associated funerary objects
were removed is the aboriginal land of
the Northern Paiute, represented by the
Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone
Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon;
Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock
Indian Colony, Nevada; PaiuteShoshone Tribe of the Fallon
Reservation and Colony, Nevada;
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the
Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada;
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada;
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada;
Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker
River Reservation, Nevada;
Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada;
and Yerington Paiute Tribe of the
Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch,
Nevada.
• Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the
disposition of the human remains and
associated funerary objects may be to
the Fort McDermitt Paiute and
Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt
Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon;
Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock
Indian Colony, Nevada; PaiuteShoshone Tribe of the Fallon
Reservation and Colony, Nevada;
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the
Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada;
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada;
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada;
Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker
River Reservation, Nevada;
Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada;
and Yerington Paiute Tribe of the
Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch,
Nevada.
• Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(d),
transfer of the human remains and
associated funerary objects to the
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon
Reservation and Colony, Nevada, may
proceed.
E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM
18OCN1
71762
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 201 / Tuesday, October 18, 2016 / Notices
Additional Requestors and Disposition
Representatives of the Indian tribes
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 John Ruhs, State Director,
Bureau of Land Management, Nevada
State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard,
Reno, NV 89502–7147, telephone (775)
861–6590, email jruhs@blm.gov, by
November 17, 2016. After that date, if
no additional requestors have come
forward, transfer of control of the
human remains and associated funerary
objects to the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of
the Fallon Reservation and Colony,
Nevada may proceed.
The BLM Nevada State Office is
responsible for notifying the Fort
McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes
of the Fort McDermitt Indian
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon;
Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock
Indian Colony, Nevada; PaiuteShoshone Tribe of the Fallon
Reservation and Colony, Nevada;
Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the
Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada;
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada;
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada;
Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker
River Reservation, Nevada;
Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada;
and Yerington Paiute Tribe of the
Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch,
Nevada that this notice has been
published.
Dated: October 5, 2016.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016–25128 Filed 10–17–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–NER–FIIS–21587; PX.XDESCPP02001]
Abbreviated Final Environmental
Impact Statement for the Fire Island
National Seashore General
Management Plan
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Park Service
(NPS) announces the availability of the
Abbreviated Final General Management
Plan/Environmental Impact Statement
(Abbreviated Final GMP/EIS) for Fire
Island National Seashore, New York.
The focus of this plan is to guide and
direct NPS management strategies for
the next 15 to 20 years that support the
protection of important natural
Lhorne on DSK30JT082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:19 Oct 17, 2016
Jkt 241001
resources and processes; significant
recreation resources; cultural resources
of national, state, and local significance;
and unique residential communities.
The Abbreviated Final GMP/EIS also
includes revisions to the Draft
Wilderness Stewardship Plan and
Backcountry Camping Policy for the
Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune
Wilderness (WSP) which will guide
decisions regarding the future use and
protection of the congressionally
designated Otis Pike Fire Island High
Dune Wilderness and areas adjacent to
the wilderness that are designated
backcountry camping areas.
DATES: October 18, 2016.
ADDRESSES: The Abbreviated Final
GMP/EIS and WSP are available
electronically at https://
www.parkplanning.nps.gov/fiis. A
limited number of printed copies will be
available upon request by contacting the
Superintendent, Fire Island National
Seashore, 120 Laurel Street, Patchogue,
NY 11772–3596, 631–687–4770.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kaetlyn Jackson, Fire Island National
Seashore, 631–687–4770, kaetlyn_
jackson@nps.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fire Island
National Seashore (the Seashore), a unit
of the national park system, is located
along the south shore of Long Island in
Suffolk County, New York. The
Seashore is composed of two distinct
units: A 26-mile stretch of Fire Island,
the 32-mile-long barrier island that runs
parallel to the south shore of Long
Island; and the William Floyd Estate,
situated on the south shore of Long
Island near the east end of Fire Island.
The Fire Island unit encompasses
19,579 acres of upland, tidal, and
submerged lands, including an
extensive system of dunes, centuries-old
maritime forests, solitary beaches,
nearly 1,400 acres of federally
designated wilderness, and the historic
Fire Island Lighthouse. The William
Floyd Estate is a 613-acre property that
was the home of one of New York’s
signers of the Declaration of
Independence.
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the NPS released a
Draft General Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft
GMP/EIS) on June 15, 2015 for a 90-day
public review period. The Draft GMP/
EIS evaluated two sets of alternatives to
address the specific needs of these two
distinct units. One set addresses parkwide alternatives for the Seashore with
a primary emphasis on the barrier island
and includes a no-action alternative and
two action alternatives. The other set of
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
alternatives focuses specifically on the
William Floyd Estate and includes a noaction alternative and a single action
alternative.
Comments received on the Draft
GMP/EIS resulted in minor changes to
the text but did not significantly alter
the alternatives or the impact analysis;
thus, the National Park Service has
prepared an Abbreviated Final General
Management Plan/Environmental
Impact Statement (Abbreviated Final
GMP/EIS). The Abbreviated Final GMP/
EIS discusses the public and agency
comments received on the Draft GMP/
EIS and provides NPS responses. The
Abbreviated Final GMP/EIS contains
errata sheets that show factual
corrections to the text of the Draft GMP/
EIS or where the text has been revised
to reflect minor additions or changes
suggested by commenters.
As in the Draft GMP/EIS, the
Abbreviated Final GMP/EIS identifies
the NPS Preferred Alternative as the
combination of Management Alternative
3 for Fire Island & Park-wide with
Management Alternative B for the
William Floyd Estate because together
they best meet the Seashore’s
management goals and convey the
greatest number of significant beneficial
results, relative to their potential
impacts, in comparison with the other
alternatives. Management Alternative 3
in combination with Management
Alternative B would do the most to
ensure the cooperative stewardship of
Fire Island National Seashore’s dynamic
coastal environment and its cultural and
natural systems while recognizing its
larger ecological, social, economic, and
cultural context and meeting the
specific needs and management goals of
the William Floyd Estate.
Circulated with the Draft GMP/EIS for
public review was the Draft Wilderness
Stewardship Plan and Backcountry
Camping Policy for the Otis Pike Fire
Island High Dune Wilderness (WSP).
The purpose of the WSP is to guide
decisions regarding the future use and
protection of the congressionally
designated Otis Pike Fire Island High
Dune Wilderness and adjacent areas that
are designated backcountry camping
areas. It identifies the core qualities of
wilderness character and outlines the
framework through which the
wilderness can be preserved, consistent
with law, policy, and the specific
legislative history applicable to this
wilderness. The Abbreviated Final
GMP/EIS contains errata sheets that
show changes and clarifications to the
Draft WSP. Some of the changes are a
result of public comments while others
are editorial in nature. When finalized,
the WSP will replace the 1983
E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM
18OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71760-71762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25128]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-22110; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, Reno, NV
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), Nevada State Office, has completed an inventory of human remains
and associated funerary objects recovered from Spirit Cave, NV, 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 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 the human remains
and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the
BLM. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of
the human remains and associated funerary objects from Spirit Cave may
proceed.
DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization that wish to request transfer of control of the human
remains and associated funerary objects from Spirit Cave should submit
a written request with information in support of the request to the BLM
Nevada State Office, at the address in this notice by November 17,
2016.
ADDRESSES: John Ruhs, State Director, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada
State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502-7147, telephone
(775) 861-6590, email jruhs@blm.gov.
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 BLM Nevada State
Office, Reno, NV. The human remains and associated funerary objects
were removed from Spirit Cave in Churchill County, NV.
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 objects. The National
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the human remains and associated funerary
objects was made by the BLM Nevada State Office professional staff in
consultation with representatives of the Comanche Nation, Oklahoma;
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and Utah;
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the
[[Page 71761]]
Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Fort
McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of
the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the
Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the
Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the
Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the
Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada;
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada; Summit
Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians
of Nevada (Four constituent bands: Battle Mountain Band; Elko Band;
South Fork Band and Wells Band); Walker River Paiute Tribe of the
Walker River Reservation, Nevada; Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California
(Carson Colony, Dresslerville Colony, Woodfords Community, Stewart
Community, & Washoe Ranches); Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada;
Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch,
Nevada; and Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation, Nevada.
History and Description of the Remains
In 1940, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals
and 10 associated funerary objects were removed from Spirit Cave in
Churchill County, NV, on lands then owned by the United States and now
administered by the BLM Nevada State Office. Sydney and Georgia Wheeler
located Spirit Cave during salvage excavations conducted by the Nevada
State Parks Commission in and around the Lahontan Basin of western
Nevada and made collections from the site. This ``Spirit Cave
Assemblage'' was then curated at the Nevada State Museum in Carson
City, NV. The human remains consist of one intact, well-preserved
mummified skeleton of an adult male, aged 40-44 years (Spirit Cave
Burial #2; NSM Catalog # Ahur 2064; commonly referred to as the
``Spirit Cave mummy''); one cremation burial (NSM Catalog #'s Ahur 752
and Ahur 773); one adult female, aged 30-35 years (NSM # Ahur 770); and
a subadult male, aged approximately 15 years (NSM # Ahur 748). No known
individuals were identified. The 10 associated funerary objects are one
outer mat, one inner mat, two leather moccasins, one rabbit skin
blanket, three woven bags, and two mat fragments. Radiocarbon dating
estimates the age of the human remains to be between 5,400 to 10,600
years ago.
DNA analysis illustrates that the human remains in the Spirit Cave
Assemblage are effectively more closely related to Native Americans
than they are to any other population. The associated funerary objects
contained within the Spirit Cave Assemblage manifest characteristics of
Native American ancestry, including a rabbit skin blanket, moccasins,
and woven mats. These cultural items are consistent with the raw
materials used and the general types of items manufactured throughout
the prehistory of the Great Basin. Therefore, the BLM Nevada State
Office has determined that the human remains are Native American.
While there are similarities in material culture between items
buried with the individuals that are part of the Spirit Cave Assemblage
and the Northern Paiute peoples, such as the rabbit skin blanket, these
similarities are at a general Numic pattern within the Great Basin that
includes many tribes (``Numic pattern'' refers to items or objects
similarly made by multiple tribes of Paiute, Shoshone, Ute, and Goshute
peoples who all share a common language group). The manufacturing of
rabbit skin blankets, woven mats, and moccasins are all material items
made by multiple tribes across the Great Basin, both past and present.
Oral tradition suggests that while the Northern Paiute tribes
originated in the region from which Spirit Cave is located, at least
one other non-Paiute tribe once occupied the region as well. The
available archeological and material culture evidence suggests that the
Northern Paiute peoples and their associated modern tribes may have
occupied the central Great Basin by 3,000 years ago, although there is
no similar evidence which places them in the western Great Basin at
this time. The DNA results also do not provide evidence that the Spirit
Cave individuals were a distinct biological group from other groups of
that age. Additionally, the age and small sample size of the Spirit
Cave Assemblage does not provide sufficient evidence from which BLM can
determine that the Spirit Cave individuals were part of a an
identifiable earlier cultural group, pursuant to NAGPRA 43 CFR
10.14(c)(2). BLM cannot determine cultural affiliation of the Spirit
Cave Assemblage.
Determinations Made by the BLM Nevada State Office
Officials of the BLM Nevada State Office have determined that:
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice are Native American.
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described
in this notice represent the physical remains of four individuals of
Native American ancestry.
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 10 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 judgements of the Indian Claims
Commission, the land from which the Native American human remains and
associated funerary objects were removed is the aboriginal land of the
Northern Paiute, represented by the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone
Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon;
Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Paiute-
Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Pyramid
Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; Reno-Sparks
Indian Colony, Nevada; Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Walker River
Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada; Winnemucca Indian
Colony of Nevada; and Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony &
Campbell Ranch, Nevada.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the
human remains and associated funerary objects may be to the Fort
McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock
Indian Colony, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation
and Colony, Nevada; Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake
Reservation, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Summit Lake
Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River
Reservation, Nevada; Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada; and Yerington
Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(d), transfer of the human remains
and associated funerary objects to the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the
Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada, may proceed.
[[Page 71762]]
Additional Requestors and Disposition
Representatives of the Indian tribes 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 John Ruhs, State Director, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada
State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502-7147, telephone
(775) 861-6590, email jruhs@blm.gov, by November 17, 2016. After that
date, if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of
control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the
Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada may
proceed.
The BLM Nevada State Office is responsible for notifying the Fort
McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian
Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock
Indian Colony, Nevada; Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation
and Colony, Nevada; Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake
Reservation, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Summit Lake
Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River
Reservation, Nevada; Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada; and Yerington
Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada that this
notice has been published.
Dated: October 5, 2016.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-25128 Filed 10-17-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
