Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, TN, 55479-55481 [2020-19693]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 174 / Tuesday, September 8, 2020 / Notices
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 associated funerary objects under the
control of the Tennessee Valley
Authority, Knoxville, TN. The
associated funerary object was removed
from an archeological site in Jackson
County, AL.
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 cultural items. The National
Park Service is not responsible for the
determinations in this notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the funerary
object was made by TVA professional
staff in consultation with
representatives of the Absentee
Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma;
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
(previously listed as Alabama-Coushatta
Tribes of Texas); Alabama-Quassarte
Tribal Town; Cherokee Nation; Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern
Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Kialegee
Tribal Town; Poarch Band of Creeks
(previously listed as Poarch Band of
Creek Indians of Alabama); Seminole
Tribe of Florida; Shawnee Tribe; The
Chickasaw Nation; The Muscogee
(Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of
Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town;
and the United Keetoowah Band of
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma
(hereafter referred to as ‘‘The Consulted
Tribes’’).
History and Description of the
Associated Funerary Object
The site listed in this notice—1JA180,
the Rudder site, in Jackson County,
AL—was excavated as part of TVA’s
Guntersville Reservoir project by the
Alabama Museum of Natural History
(AMNH) at the University of Alabama,
using labor and funds provided by the
Works Progress Administration. Details
regarding the excavation of this site may
be found in ‘‘An Archaeological Survey
of Guntersville Basin on the Tennessee
River in Northern Alabama,’’ by
William S. Webb and Charles G. Wilder.
Human remains and other associated
funerary objects from site 1JA180 were
listed in a Notice of Inventory
Completion published in the Federal
Register on January 14, 2014 (79 FR
2877–2878, January 14, 2014). The
cultural items listed in that notice have
been transferred to The Muscogee
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:32 Sep 04, 2020
Jkt 250001
(Creek) Nation. Recently, an additional
associated funerary object from this site
was discovered during the improvement
of the curation of TVA’s archeological
collection at AMNH.
On March 30, 1939, burial unit 8 was
excavated at 1JA180, the Rudder site, in
Jackson County, AL, following TVA’s
purchase of the site on November 22,
1937. Site 1JA180 was composed of a
truncated trapezoidal mound showing
multiple construction periods and a
smaller mound containing most of the
burial units. The culturally affiliated
NAGPRA cultural items from site
1JA180 are from the Henry Island phase
of the Mississippian period. The one
associated funerary object is a shell
bead.
Spanish and French explorers of the
16th and 17th centuries indicated the
presence of chiefdom-level tribal
entities in the southeastern United
States, and TVA has determined that the
Coosa paramount chiefdom noted in
historical chronicles is most likely
related to Henry Island phase sites in
this part of the Guntersville Reservoir.
Tribal groups or towns that are
constituents of The Muscogee (Creek)
Nation claim descent from the Coosa
chiefdom. Consequently, based on
historical and oral traditional
information, the preponderance of the
evidence indicates that in this part of
the Guntersville Reservoir area, Henry
Island phase sites are most likely
culturally associated with groups now
part of The Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Determinations Made by the Tennessee
Valley Authority
Officials of the Tennessee Valley
Authority have determined that:
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A),
the one associated funerary 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 associated funerary object
listed in this notice and The Muscogee
(Creek) Nation.
Additional Requestors and Disposition
Lineal descendants or representatives
of any Indian Tribe not identified in this
notice that wish to request transfer of
control of this associated funerary object
should submit a written request with
information in support of the request to
Dr. Thomas O. Maher, Tennessee Valley
Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive,
WT11C, Knoxville, TN 37902–1401,
telephone (865) 632–7458, email
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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55479
tomaher@tva.gov, by October 8, 2020.
After that date, if no additional
requestors have come forward, transfer
of control of the associated funerary
object to The Muscogee (Creek) Nation
may proceed.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is
responsible for notifying The Consulted
Tribes that this notice has been
published.
Dated: August 3, 2020.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020–19696 Filed 9–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0030726;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion:
Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville,
TN
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) has completed an
inventory of 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 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 associated funerary objects
should submit a written request to the
TVA. If no additional requestors come
forward, transfer of control of the
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
associated funerary objects should
submit a written request with
information in support of the request to
the TVA at the address in this notice by
October 8, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Dr. Thomas O. Maher,
Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West
Summit Hill Drive, WT11C, Knoxville,
TN 37902–1401, telephone (865) 632–
7458, email tomaher@tva.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
here given in accordance with the
Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C.
SUMMARY:
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08SEN1
55480
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 174 / Tuesday, September 8, 2020 / Notices
3003, of the completion of an inventory
of associated funerary objects under the
control of Tennessee Valley Authority,
Knoxville, TN. The associated funerary
objects were removed from
archeological sites in Marshall County,
AL.
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 associated funerary
objects. The National Park Service is not
responsible for the determinations in
this notice.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the
associated funerary objects was made by
TVA professional staff in consultation
with representatives of the AbsenteeShawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; AlabamaCoushatta Tribe of Texas (previously
listed as Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of
Texas); Cherokee Nation; Coushatta
Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians; Poarch Band of
Creeks (previously listed as Poarch
Band of Creek Indians of Alabama); The
Chickasaw Nation; The Choctaw Nation
of Oklahoma; The Muscogee (Creek)
Nation; The Seminole Nation of
Oklahoma; and the United Keetoowah
Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma
(hereafter referred to as ‘‘The Consulted
Tribes’’).
History and Description of the
Associated Funerary Objects
The three sites listed in this notice—
1MS80, 1MS147, and 1MS91—were
excavated as part of TVA’s Guntersville
Reservoir project by the Alabama
Museum of Natural History (AMNH) at
the University of Alabama, using labor
and funds provided by the Works
Progress Administration. Details
regarding the excavation of these sites
may be found in ‘‘An Archaeological
Survey of Guntersville Basin on the
Tennessee River in Northern Alabama,’’
a report by William S. Webb and
Charles G. Wilder. The associated
funerary objects listed in this notice
have been in the physical custody of the
AMNH at the University of Alabama
since they were excavated.
Human remains and associated
funerary objects from sites 1MS80 and
1MS147 were listed in a Notice of
Inventory Completion published in the
Federal Register on May 3, 2019 (84 FR
19111–19113, May 3, 2019), and human
remains and associated funerary objects
from site 1MS91 were listed in a Notice
of Inventory Completion in the Federal
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:32 Sep 04, 2020
Jkt 250001
Register on September 16, 2016 (81 FR
63793–63795, September 16, 2016).
Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(2)(i), all the
cultural items listed in those notices
have been transferred to the AlabamaCoushatta Tribe of Texas (previously
listed as Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of
Texas); Alabama-Quassarte Tribal
Town; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana;
and The Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Recently, five additional associated
funerary objects removed from these
three sites were discovered during the
improvement of the curation of TVA’s
archeological collection at AMNH.
From June to October 1938,
excavation took place at the Harris site,
1MS80, in Marshall County, AL,
following TVA’s purchase of the site on
January 26, 1937. This shell-midden site
was excavated through trenches and
horizontal blocks. Although there are no
radiocarbon dates from this site,
artifacts from the excavation suggest
occupations during the Copena (A.D.
100–500), Flint River (A.D. 500–1000),
and Henry Island (A.D. 1200–1500)
phases. The one associated funerary
object is a sandstone geode. The human
remains with which it is associated
could not be assigned to a specific
occupation.
From June 1938 to May 1939,
excavation took place at the Columbus
City Landing site, 1MS91, northeast of
the city of Guntersville, in Marshall
County, AL, following TVA’s purchase
of the site on March 8, 1937. Both the
village (Unit I) and adjacent mounds
(Unit II) were investigated. Artifacts
recovered from this excavation revealed
that the primary occupations date to the
Middle Woodland (A.D. 100–500),
Mississippian (A.D. 1200–1500), and
historic periods. The three associated
funerary objects are three Baytown Plain
sherds that were removed from burial
58, in Unit II. The human remains with
which they are associated could not be
assigned to a specific occupation.
From January to March 1940,
excavation took place at the McDonald
site, 1MS147, in Marshall County, AL,
following TVA’s acquisition of the site
on August 5, 1938. This site was
composed of both a village and a
mound. Although there are no
radiocarbon dates from this site, the
artifacts indicate that it was primarily
occupied during the Copena phase (A.D.
100–500). The one associated funerary
object is a Hamilton projectile point that
was removed from burial 7. The human
remains with which it is associated
could not be assigned to a specific
occupation.
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Determinations Made by the Tennessee
Valley Authority
Officials of the Tennessee Valley
Authority have determined that:
• Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A),
the five 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
associated funerary objects and any
present-day Indian Tribe.
• According to final judgments of the
Indian Claims Commission or the Court
of Federal Claims, the land from which
the associated funerary objects were
removed is the aboriginal land of the
Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians; and the United
Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in
Oklahoma. The Cherokee Nation;
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and
the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee
Indians in Oklahoma have declined to
accept transfer of control of these
cultural items.
• Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(4), the
Tennessee Valley Authority has agreed
to transfer control of the associated
funerary objects to the AlabamaCoushatta Tribe of Texas (previously
listed as Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of
Texas); Alabama-Quassarte Tribal
Town; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana;
and The Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
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 the
associated funerary objects should
submit a written request with
information in support of the request to
Dr. Thomas O. Maher, Tennessee Valley
Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive,
WT11C, Knoxville, TN 37902–1401,
telephone (865) 632–7458, email
tomaher@tva.gov, by October 8, 2020.
After that date, if no additional
requestors have come forward, transfer
of control of the associated funerary
objects to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe
of Texas (previously listed as AlabamaCoushatta Tribes of Texas); AlabamaQuassarte Tribal Town; Coushatta Tribe
of Louisiana; and The Muscogee (Creek)
Nation may proceed.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is
responsible for notifying The Consulted
Tribes that this notice has been
published.
E:\FR\FM\08SEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 174 / Tuesday, September 8, 2020 / Notices
Dated: August 3, 2020.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
MI. The human remains and associated
funerary objects were removed from
Alcona County, MI.
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.
[FR Doc. 2020–19693 Filed 9–4–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0030683;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion:
Michigan State University, East
Lansing, MI
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Michigan State University 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 Tribes 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 Michigan State University. 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
Tribes 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 Michigan State University at
the address in this notice by October 8,
2020.
ADDRESSES: Judith Stoddart, Associate
Provost for University Collections and
Arts Initiatives, Michigan State
University, 466 W Circle Drive, East
Lansing, MI 48824–1044, telephone
(517) 432–2524, email stoddart@
msu.edu.
SUMMARY:
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
Michigan State University, East Lansing,
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Jkt 250001
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the human
remains was made by Michigan State
University professional staff in
consultation with representatives of the
Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan;
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and
Chippewa Indians, Michigan;
Hannahville Indian Community,
Michigan; Keweenaw Bay Indian
Community, Michigan; Lac Vieux Desert
Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Indians of Michigan; Little River Band
of Ottawa Indians, Michigan; Little
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians,
Michigan; Match-e-be-nash-she-wish
Band of Pottawatomi Indians of
Michigan; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of
the Potawatomi, Michigan (previously
listed as Huron Potawatomi, Inc.);
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians,
Michigan and Indiana; Saginaw
Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan;
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians, Michigan; and two nonfederally recognized Indian groups, the
Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and
Chippewa Indians, and the Grand River
Band of Ottawa Indians (hereafter
referred to as ‘‘The Consulted Tribes
and Groups’’).
An invitation to consult was extended
to the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of
Indians of Oklahoma; Bad River Band of
the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa
Indians of the Bad River Reservation,
Wisconsin; Chippewa Cree Indians of
the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, Montana
(previously listed as Chippewa-Cree
Indians of the Rocky Boy’s Reservation,
Montana); Citizen Potawatomi Nation,
Oklahoma; Delaware Nation, Oklahoma;
Delaware Tribe of Indians; Eastern
Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Forest
County Potawatomi Community,
Wisconsin; Kickapoo Traditional Tribe
of Texas; Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of
the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas;
Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma; Lac
Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin; Lac du
Flambeau Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa Indians of the Lac du
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55481
Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin;
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin;
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Minnesota
Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (Six
component reservations: Bois Forte
Band (Nett Lake); Fond du Lac Band;
Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band;
Mille Lacs Band; White Earth Band);
Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe
of Indians of Oklahoma; Prairie Band
Potawatomi Nation (previously listed as
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation,
Kansas); Red Cliff Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa Indians of
Wisconsin; Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Indians, Minnesota; Sac & Fox Nation of
Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Sac &
Fox Nation, Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Tribe
of the Mississippi in Iowa; Seneca
Nation of Indians (previously listed as
Seneca Nation of New York); SenecaCayuga Nation (previously listed as
Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma);
Shawnee Tribe; Sokaogon Chippewa
Community, Wisconsin; St. Croix
Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin;
Stockbridge Munsee Community,
Wisconsin; Tonawanda Band of Seneca
(previously listed as Tonawanda Band
of Seneca Indians of New York); Turtle
Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of
North Dakota; and the Wyandotte
Nation, hereafter referred to as ‘‘The
Invited Tribes.’’
History and Description of the Remains
On September 9, 2017, human
remains representing, at minimum, one
individual were removed from
Harrisville Township, Alcona County,
MI. The human remains (FA 054–17)
were discovered during the excavation
of a building site. Property owner
Cheryl Lee Holmes notified the Alcona
County Sheriff’s office of the discovery.
The human remains were transferred to
Michigan State University’s Forensic
Anthropology Laboratory, where they
were analyzed. No known individual
was identified. No associated funerary
objects are present.
On an unknown date, human remains
representing, at minimum, two
individuals were removed from the
Black site (20EA30), Sunfield
Township, Eaton County, MI. Edward
Black, the site’s owner, encountered the
human remains (4335.13) when plowing
behind his barn. He transferred them to
the Michigan State University Museum.
A crew was subsequently sent to the site
to test the burial location for any
associated funerary objects. During
excavation, it was discovered that the
human remains had possibly been
reinterred. Likely, the human remains
were previously discovered during
construction of a barn and reinterred
where they were redisturbed during
E:\FR\FM\08SEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 174 (Tuesday, September 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55479-55481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-19693]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0030726; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Tennessee Valley Authority,
Knoxville, TN
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has completed an
inventory of 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 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 associated funerary objects should submit
a written request to the TVA. If no additional requestors come forward,
transfer of control of the 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 associated funerary objects should submit
a written request with information in support of the request to the TVA
at the address in this notice by October 8, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Dr. Thomas O. Maher, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West
Summit Hill Drive, WT11C, Knoxville, TN 37902-1401, telephone (865)
632-7458, email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25
U.S.C.
[[Page 55480]]
3003, of the completion of an inventory of associated funerary objects
under the control of Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, TN. The
associated funerary objects were removed from archeological sites in
Marshall County, AL.
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 associated funerary objects. The National Park Service
is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
Consultation
A detailed assessment of the associated funerary objects was made
by TVA professional staff in consultation with representatives of the
Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
(previously listed as Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Cherokee
Nation; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians;
Poarch Band of Creeks (previously listed as Poarch Band of Creek
Indians of Alabama); The Chickasaw Nation; The Choctaw Nation of
Oklahoma; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma;
and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma
(hereafter referred to as ``The Consulted Tribes'').
History and Description of the Associated Funerary Objects
The three sites listed in this notice--1MS80, 1MS147, and 1MS91--
were excavated as part of TVA's Guntersville Reservoir project by the
Alabama Museum of Natural History (AMNH) at the University of Alabama,
using labor and funds provided by the Works Progress Administration.
Details regarding the excavation of these sites may be found in ``An
Archaeological Survey of Guntersville Basin on the Tennessee River in
Northern Alabama,'' a report by William S. Webb and Charles G. Wilder.
The associated funerary objects listed in this notice have been in the
physical custody of the AMNH at the University of Alabama since they
were excavated.
Human remains and associated funerary objects from sites 1MS80 and
1MS147 were listed in a Notice of Inventory Completion published in the
Federal Register on May 3, 2019 (84 FR 19111-19113, May 3, 2019), and
human remains and associated funerary objects from site 1MS91 were
listed in a Notice of Inventory Completion in the Federal Register on
September 16, 2016 (81 FR 63793-63795, September 16, 2016). Pursuant to
43 CFR 10.11(c)(2)(i), all the cultural items listed in those notices
have been transferred to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
(previously listed as Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Alabama-
Quassarte Tribal Town; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; and The Muscogee
(Creek) Nation. Recently, five additional associated funerary objects
removed from these three sites were discovered during the improvement
of the curation of TVA's archeological collection at AMNH.
From June to October 1938, excavation took place at the Harris
site, 1MS80, in Marshall County, AL, following TVA's purchase of the
site on January 26, 1937. This shell-midden site was excavated through
trenches and horizontal blocks. Although there are no radiocarbon dates
from this site, artifacts from the excavation suggest occupations
during the Copena (A.D. 100-500), Flint River (A.D. 500-1000), and
Henry Island (A.D. 1200-1500) phases. The one associated funerary
object is a sandstone geode. The human remains with which it is
associated could not be assigned to a specific occupation.
From June 1938 to May 1939, excavation took place at the Columbus
City Landing site, 1MS91, northeast of the city of Guntersville, in
Marshall County, AL, following TVA's purchase of the site on March 8,
1937. Both the village (Unit I) and adjacent mounds (Unit II) were
investigated. Artifacts recovered from this excavation revealed that
the primary occupations date to the Middle Woodland (A.D. 100-500),
Mississippian (A.D. 1200-1500), and historic periods. The three
associated funerary objects are three Baytown Plain sherds that were
removed from burial 58, in Unit II. The human remains with which they
are associated could not be assigned to a specific occupation.
From January to March 1940, excavation took place at the McDonald
site, 1MS147, in Marshall County, AL, following TVA's acquisition of
the site on August 5, 1938. This site was composed of both a village
and a mound. Although there are no radiocarbon dates from this site,
the artifacts indicate that it was primarily occupied during the Copena
phase (A.D. 100-500). The one associated funerary object is a Hamilton
projectile point that was removed from burial 7. The human remains with
which it is associated could not be assigned to a specific occupation.
Determinations Made by the Tennessee Valley Authority
Officials of the Tennessee Valley Authority have determined that:
Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the five 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 associated
funerary objects and any present-day Indian Tribe.
According to final judgments of the Indian Claims
Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the
associated funerary objects were removed is the aboriginal land of the
Cherokee Nation; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and the United
Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. The Cherokee Nation;
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and the United Keetoowah Band of
Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma have declined to accept transfer of
control of these cultural items.
Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(4), the Tennessee Valley
Authority has agreed to transfer control of the associated funerary
objects to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (previously listed as
Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town;
Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; and The Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
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 the associated funerary objects should submit a written request with
information in support of the request to Dr. Thomas O. Maher, Tennessee
Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT11C, Knoxville, TN
37902-1401, telephone (865) 632-7458, email [email protected], by October
8, 2020. After that date, if no additional requestors have come
forward, transfer of control of the associated funerary objects to the
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (previously listed as Alabama-
Coushatta Tribes of Texas); Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town; Coushatta
Tribe of Louisiana; and The Muscogee (Creek) Nation may proceed.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is responsible for notifying The
Consulted Tribes that this notice has been published.
[[Page 55481]]
Dated: August 3, 2020.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020-19693 Filed 9-4-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
