84 FR 11814 - Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Fowler Museum at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

The Fowler Museum at University of California (UCLA) in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, has determined that the cultural items listed in this notice meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim these cultural items should submit a written request to the Fowler Museum at UCLA. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of the cultural items to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 60 (Thursday, March 28, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11814-11815]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05999]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0027388; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Fowler Museum at 
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Fowler Museum at University of California (UCLA) in 
consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian 
organizations, has determined that the cultural items listed in this 
notice meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects. Lineal 
descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim these 
cultural items should submit a written request to the Fowler Museum at 
UCLA. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of control of 
the cultural items 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 
claim these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to the Fowler Museum at UCLA at the 
address in this notice by April 29, 2019.

ADDRESSES: 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. 3005, of the intent to repatriate cultural items under the 
control of the Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA that meet the 
definition of unassociated funerary objects under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    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.

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    In March 1960, 25 cultural items were removed from the banks of 
Pismo Creek (CA-SLO-832) in San Luis Obispo County, CA. Collections 
from the site derive from salvage operations led by M.B. McKusick 
before the complete destruction of a cemetery due to construction 
activities on privately owned land. No human remains were collected. 
Unassociated funerary objects were identified as being removed from the 
cemetery on the knoll. The collections have been curated at UCLA since 
1960. The site has been dated to A.D. 340 +/-80 years. The 25 
unassociated funerary objects are four bowl fragments, two metate 
fragments, two pestle fragments, 12 flaked stone tools, two flakes, one 
finishing stone, and two bi-pitted anvils.
    Through consultation, the Fowler Museum has determined that the 
Pismo Creek site lies within the traditional territory of the Chumash. 
This determination is consistent with ethnographic and historic 
documentation. The unassociated funerary objects in this notice are 
consistent with others that are attributable to groups ancestral to the 
present-day Chumash people. The material culture of the earlier groups 
living in the geographical area encompassing the Pismo Creek site is 
characterized by archeologists as having passed through various stages 
over the past 10,000 years. Many local archeologists assert that the 
changes in the material culture reflect evolving ecological adaptations 
and related changes in social organization of the same populations, and 
do not represent population displacements or movements. The same range 
of artifact types and materials were used from the early pre-contact 
period until historic times. 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. Based on this evidence, shared group identity may 
reasonably be traced between the earlier group at the Pismo Creek site 
and present-day Chumash people.

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

    Officials of the Fowler Museum at University of California Los 
Angeles have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), the 25 cultural items 
described above 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the 
evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of a Native 
American individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the 
unassociated funerary objects and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash 
Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California.

[[Page 11815]]

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native 
Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to claim 
these cultural items should submit a written request with information 
in support of the claim 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 April 29, 2019. After that date, if no 
additional claimants have come forward, transfer of control of the 
unassociated funerary objects to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission 
Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California may proceed.
    The Fowler Museum at University of California Los Angeles is 
responsible for notifying the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission 
Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California that this notice has 
been published.

    Dated: February 25, 2019.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2019-05999 Filed 3-27-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P