Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK, 54499-54501 [2024-14463]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 126 (Monday, July 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54499-54501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14463]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038195; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of 
Natural History, Norman, OK

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural 
History (SNOMNH), has completed an inventory of human remains and 
associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural 
affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects 
and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES: Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects in this notice may occur on or after July 31, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Dr. Marc Levine, Associate Curator of Archaeology, Sam Noble 
Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 
Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK 73072-7029, telephone (405) 325-1994, 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published as part of the 
National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. 
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the 
SNOMNH, and additional information on the determinations in this 
notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its 
inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not 
responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

    In 1941, human remains representing, at minimum, 64 individuals 
were removed from the Henry Heflin I site (34Lf14) in LeFlore County, 
OK. This site was excavated by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) 
in 1941, and the associated finds were transferred to the Museum that 
same year. The human remains and

[[Page 54500]]

associated funerary objects from site 34Lf14 were interred during the 
Woodland Period (300 B.C.-A.D. 900). The human remains include 15 adult 
females, nine adult males, two adolescents, five children, one infant, 
three adult probable females, 13 adult probable males, 15 adults for 
whom sex could not be determined, and one individual for whom age and 
sex could not be determined.
    The 62 associated funerary objects are 24 stone projectile points, 
five boatstones, two pieces of hematite, two stone gorges, one stone 
tool, one worked stone, two pieces of quartz, one piece of galena, one 
reconstructible decorated ceramic vessel, one potsherd, five faunal 
bone tools, three modified faunal bones, one turtle shell fragment, six 
faunal bones, five shell jewelry pieces, one modified shell, and one 
shell with red ochre.
    In 1942, human remains representing, at minimum, 43 individuals 
were removed from the DeHart II site (34Lf17) in LeFlore County, OK. 
This site was excavated by the WPA in 1942, and the associated finds 
were transferred to the Museum that same year. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects from site 34Lf17 were interred during the 
Woodland Period (300 B.C.-A.D. 900). The human remains include seven 
adult females, six adult males, six adolescents, five children, six 
adult probable females, six adult probable males, five adults for whom 
sex could not be determined, and two individuals for whom age and sex 
could not be determined.
    The 44 associated funerary objects are six stone projectile points, 
two stone bifaces, two boatstones, one inscribed stone gorget, two 
pieces of hematite, one piece of clay with a human fingerprint, two 
potsherds, one faunal bone hairpin, one antler flaker, one deer bone 
fragment, one buckhorn fragment, 10 faunal bones, two bags of dog 
bones, three turtle shell fragments, four shell beads, two shell 
gorgets, two shells, and one piece of burned wood.
    In 1941, human remains representing, at minimum, 34 individuals 
were removed from the DeHart I site (34Lf18) in LeFlore County, OK. 
This site was excavated by the WPA in 1941, and the associated finds 
were transferred to the Museum that same year. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects from site 34Lf18 were interred during the 
Woodland Period (300 B.C.-A.D. 900). The human remains include four 
adult females, four adult males, seven children, six adult probable 
females, five adult probable males, two adolescents, and six 
individuals for whom sex and age could not be determined.
    The 37 associated funerary objects are five stone projectile 
points, three stone manos, one stone gorget, four pieces of hematite, 
one stone flake, two potsherds with grog temper, two faunal bone pins, 
three broken faunal bone pins, one broken faunal bone pendant, one 
faunal bone awl fragment, one bear tooth, three buckhorns, five 
buckhorn fragments, one bag of buckhorn fragments, one bag of beaver 
tooth fragments, one deer bone, and two bags of faunal bones.
    In 1941, human remains representing, at minimum, 125 individuals 
were removed from the Copeland site (34Lf20) in LeFlore County, OK. 
This site was excavated by the WPA in 1941, and the associated finds 
were transferred to the Museum in the same year. The human remains and 
associated funerary objects from site 34Lf20 were interred during the 
Woodland Period (300 B.C.E.-900 C.E.). The human remains include 24 
adult females, 18 adult males, seven adolescents, 16 children, one 
infant, 17 adult probable females, 12 adult probable males, 28 adults 
of indeterminate sex, and two individuals for whom sex and age could 
not be determined.
    The 127 associated funerary objects are 15 stone projectile points, 
three stone projectile point fragments, one boatstone, three stone 
celts, one stone gorget, one stone axe, one hammerstone, one stone 
inlay from a wooden ear plug, six pieces of hematite, one obsidian 
flake, two worked stones, two stone flakes, one ceramic vessel, 11 
potsherds, two bags of potsherds, four faunal bone hairpins, one faunal 
bone bead, three faunal bone awls, three faunal bone awl fragments, two 
worked faunal bones, two bags of dog bones, three deer bones, four 
faunal bones, one turtle shell fragment, 11 bags of faunal bones, two 
bags of faunal teeth, 35 shell beads, one bag of shell bead fragments, 
two shells, one shell fragment, and one bag of seeds and wood 
fragments.
    In 1940 and 1941, human remains representing, at minimum, 53 
individuals were removed from the Conner site (34Lf21) in LeFlore 
County, OK. This site was excavated by the WPA in 1940 and 1941, and 
the associated finds were transferred to the Museum shortly thereafter. 
The human remains and associated funerary objects from site 34Lf21 were 
interred during the Woodland Period (300 B.C.-A.D. 900). The human 
remains include 14 adult females, four adult males, four adolescents, 
nine children, one infant, nine adult probable females, five adult 
probable males, and seven adults for whom sex could not be determined.
    The 37 associated funerary objects are 13 stone projectile points, 
one stone projectile point fragment, one stone cone-shaped paint cup, 
one stone gorget fragment, nine pieces of worked hematite, one worked 
stone, one potsherd, one faunal bone awl, one faunal bone knife, four 
faunal bones, three bags of faunal bones, and one fragment of wood.
    In 1940, human remains representing, at minimum, 44 individuals 
were removed from the John Smith site (34Lf22) in LeFlore County, OK. 
This site was excavated by the WPA in 1940 and 1941, and the associated 
finds were transferred to the Museum shortly thereafter. The human 
remains and associated funerary objects from site 34Lf22 were interred 
during the Woodland Period (300 B.C.-A.D. 900). The human remains 
include seven adult females, three adult males, four adolescents, three 
infants, nine adult probable females, seven adult probable males, six 
adults for whom sex could not be determined, and five individuals for 
whom sex and age could not be determined.
    The 43 associated funerary objects are eight stone projectile 
points, three paint stones, one hammerstone, one boatstone, two worked 
stone tools, two potsherds, five faunal bone beads, one faunal bone 
awl, two faunal bone awl fragments, one faunal bone fish hook fragment, 
four worked faunal bones, three faunal bones, four bags of faunal 
bones, one turtle shell fragment, one bag of turtle shell fragments, 
one shell pendant fragment, two bags of shell fragments, and one piece 
of wood.

Cultural Affiliation

    Based on the information available and the results of consultation, 
cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available 
about the human remains and associated funerary objects described in 
this notice.

Determinations

    The SNOMNH has determined that:
     The human remains described in this notice represent the 
physical remains of 363 individuals of Native American ancestry.
     The 350 objects described in this notice are reasonably 
believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual 
human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite 
or ceremony.
     There is a connection between the human remains and 
associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Caddo 
Nation of Oklahoma and the

[[Page 54501]]

Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco, & Tawakonie), 
Oklahoma.

Requests for Repatriation

    Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and 
associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the 
authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES. 
Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:
    1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations identified in this notice.
    2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a 
preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal 
descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with 
cultural affiliation.
    Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects 
described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after July 31, 
2024. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the SNOMNH 
must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. 
Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated 
funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing 
requests. The SNOMNH is responsible for sending a copy of this notice 
to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in 
this notice.
    Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 
25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.

    Dated: June 24, 2024.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024-14463 Filed 6-28-24; 8:45 am]
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