Notice of Inventory Completion: Fowler Museum at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 38118-38120 [2021-15252]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 135 (Monday, July 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38118-38120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15252]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0032263; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Fowler Museum at the University 
of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Fowler Museum at the University of California Los Angeles 
(Fowler Museum at UCLA) has completed an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate 
Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that 
there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and 
associated funerary objects and present-day Indian Tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations. Lineal descendants or representatives of any 
Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this 
notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains 
and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the 
Fowler Museum at UCLA. If no additional requestors come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian 
organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or 
Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to 
request transfer of control of these human remains and associated 
funerary objects should submit a written request with information in 
support of the request to the Fowler Museum at UCLA at the address in 
this notice by August 18, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy G Teeter, Ph.D., Fowler Museum 
at UCLA, Box 951549, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1549, telephone (310) 825-
1864, 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. 3003, of the completion of an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects under the control of the Fowler Museum at 
the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from San Luis 
Obispo County, CA.
    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 was made by the Fowler 
Museum at UCLA professional staff in consultation with representatives 
of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez 
Reservation, California and three non-federally recognized Indian 
groups: The Barbare[ntilde]o/Venture[ntilde]o Band of Mission

[[Page 38119]]

Indians, the yak tityu tityu yak ti[lstrok]hini--Northern Chumash 
Tribe, and the Salinan Tribe of San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties 
(hereafter referred to as ``The Consulted Tribes and Groups'').

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1960, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from CA-SLO-156 in San Luis Obispo County, CA. Fred 
Reinman conducted excavations from June to August 1960 at this Late 
Period site. These excavations were conducted in association with the 
University of California Archaeological Survey under contract with the 
State Division of Beaches and Parks, which is now the Department of 
Parks and Recreation (State Parks). The excavations were initiated and 
conducted prior to the construction of a dam that would flood the site. 
The dam was designed and constructed by the State Department of Water 
Resources (DWR) during the period October 1958 to April 1961. The 
excavated materials were brought to UCLA Anthropology for analysis and 
preparation of a report for State Parks and DWR. They were curated by 
UCLA Anthropology until 1976, when, along with the rest of the 
archeological collections at UCLA Anthropology, they were transferred 
to the Fowler Museum. The fragmentary human remains, which were 
recovered from the surface of the site, belong to an adult of 
undetermined sex. No known individual was identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    In 1960, human remains representing, at minimum, five individuals 
were removed from CA-SLO-157 in San Luis Obispo County, CA. M.B. 
McKusick and Frances Riddell conducted excavations at this Late Period 
site in March of 1960, and the materials recovered from their 
excavations are identified as Accession 290. Fred M. Reinman conducted 
additional excavations at the site from June to August of 1960, and the 
materials recovered from his excavations are identified as Accession 
292. Both excavations were conducted in association with the University 
of California Archaeological Survey under contract with the State 
Division of Beaches and Parks, which is now the Department of Parks and 
Recreation (State Parks). The excavations were initiated and conducted 
prior to the construction of the above described dam. The excavated 
materials were brought to UCLA Anthropology for analysis and 
preparation of a report for State Parks and DWR. They were curated by 
UCLA Anthropology until 1976, when, along with the rest of the 
archeological collections at UCLA Anthropology, they were transferred 
to the Fowler Museum. The human remains in Accession 290, Burial 1 
belong to an adult, possibly male. The human remains in Accession 292, 
Burials 2, 3, and 4 belong to two juveniles and one infant. In 
addition, Accession 292 includes the fragmentary remains of an adult of 
indeterminate sex that were recovered from the surface of the site. No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present in Accession 290. The 78 associated funerary objects in 
Accession 292 include two sandstone pestles, one sandstone hammerstone, 
one basalt cobble, one quartzite core, one jasper projectile point, one 
chert chopper/scraper, three jasper retouched flakes, one chert worked 
flake, 48 unmodified shell fragments, three stone flakes, one chert 
flake, seven stone fragments, seven unmodified animal bone fragments, 
and one yellow ochre fragment.
    In 1960, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from CA-SLO-159 in San Luis Obispo County, CA. Fred 
Reinman conducted excavations from June to August of 1960 at this Late 
Period site. These excavations were conducted in association with the 
University of California Archaeological Survey under contract with the 
State Division of Beaches and Parks, which is now the Department of 
Parks and Recreation (State Parks). The excavations were initiated and 
conducted prior to the construction of the above described dam. The 
excavated materials were brought to UCLA Anthropology for analysis and 
preparation of a report for State Parks and DWR. They were curated by 
UCLA Anthropology until 1976, when, along with the rest of the 
archeological collections at UCLA Anthropology, they were transferred 
to the Fowler Museum. The fragmentary human remains, which were 
recovered from the surface of the site, belong to an adult, possibly 
female. No known individual was identified. No associated funerary 
objects are present.
    Through consultation, and consistent with ethnographic and historic 
documentation, the sites detailed in the above paragraphs have been 
determined to lie within the traditional territory of the Chumash. 
Moreover, the associated funerary objects in this notice are consistent 
with those used by groups that are ancestral to the present-day Chumash 
people. While the material culture of the earlier groups living in the 
area has passed through stages over the past 10,000 years, according to 
many local archeologists, these changes reflect evolving ecological 
adaptations and related developments in social organization of the same 
populations, rather than population displacements or movements, and 
explain why the same range of artifact types and materials were used 
from the early pre-contact period until historic times. Similarly, 
Native consultants explicitly state that population mixing (which did 
occur on a small scale) would not alter the continuity of the shared 
group identities of people associated with specific locales. 
Consequently, continuity through time can be traced between the earlier 
groups at the above listed sites and the present-day Chumash people.

Determinations Made by the Fowler Museum at the University of 
California Los Angeles

    Officials of the Fowler Museum at the University of the California 
Los Angeles have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of seven individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the 78 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), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native 
American human remains and associated funerary objects and the Santa 
Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, 
California.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to 
request transfer of control of these human remains and associated 
funerary objects should submit a written request with information in 
support of the request to Wendy G Teeter, Ph.D., Fowler Museum at UCLA, 
Box 951549, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1549, telephone (310) 825-1864, email 
[email protected], by August 18, 2021. After that date, if no 
additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the 
human remains and associated funerary objects to the Santa Ynez Band of 
Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California may 
proceed.
    The Fowler Museum at the University of the California Los Angeles 
is responsible for notifying The Consulted Tribes and Groups that this 
notice has been published.


[[Page 38120]]


    Dated: July 7, 2021.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2021-15252 Filed 7-16-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P