80 FR 23580 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 81 (April 28, 2015)

The Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, University of Washington (Burke Museum), has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary object, 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 object should submit a written request to the Burke Museum. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary object to the lineal descendants, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23580-23581]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09922]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-18042;PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Thomas Burke Memorial Washington 
State Museum, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum, University 
of Washington (Burke Museum), has completed an inventory of human 
remains and associated funerary object, 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 object should submit a written request 
to the Burke Museum. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer 
of control of the human remains and associated funerary object 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 object should submit a written request with information in 
support of the request to the Burke Museum at the address in this 
notice by May 28, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of Washington, Box 
353010, Seattle, WA 98195, telephone (206) 685-3849 x2, 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 object under the control of the Burke Museum, 
Seattle, WA. The human remains and associated funerary object were 
removed from Dutch Harbor, Amaknak Island, Aleutians East Borough, AK.
    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 object. 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 Burke 
Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives of 
Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1943, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual 
were removed from a sandpit two miles south of the entrance to Dutch 
Harbor on Unalaska or Amaknak Island, Aleutians East Borough, AK. These 
human remains were collected by Charles Joseph Zemalis, who was 
enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the time, and accessioned by the Burke 
Museum in 1946 (Burke Accn. #3427). The accession record noted the 
human remains came from 30 inches beneath the surface in a midden, 
along with a bone point.
    In 1974, several sets of human remains, including Burke Accn. 
#3427, were transferred to Seattle University from the Burke Museum. 
Sometime after that, the human remains were supposedly found in a 
warehouse and were later given to the New York State Police by a woman 
who claimed her deceased husband found the human remains in Seattle. 
The human remains were then given to the Washington State Physical 
Anthropologist Dr. Guy Tasa, who determined that the human remains were 
originally from the Burke Museum's collection and returned them to the 
Burke in 2010. No known individuals were identified. The one associated 
funerary object is a bone point, which has been in the Burke's 
collections since 1946.
    The human remains have been determined to be Native American based 
on osteological and archeological evidence. While the exact site from 
which these human remains were removed is unknown, the area around 
Unalaska Bay and Dutch Harbor has numerous documented archeological 
sites occupied by the Aleut (Unangan) people (Damas, 1984; McCartney, 
1998). Most of these sites are deep midden deposits that date from 
historic times back 4000 years. During World War II, many of these 
sites, especially on Amaknak Island, were impacted by military 
projects, and soldiers were known to have collected material 
(McCartney, 1998). The one bone point funerary object is consistent 
with material culture from the region and time period (Damas, 1984; 
McCartney, 1998). The modern day descendants of the Unalaska Bay Aleut 
(Unangan) are members of the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska.

Determinations Made by the Burke Museum

    Officials of the Burke Museum have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the one 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 Native 
American human remains and associated funerary object and the 
Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska.

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 object should submit a written request with information in 
support of the request to Peter Lape, Burke Museum, University of 
Washington, Box

[[Page 23581]]

353101, Seattle, WA 98195, telephone (206) 685-3849 x2, email 
[email protected], by May 28, 2015. After that date, if no additional 
requestors have come forward, transfer of control of the human remains 
and associated funerary object to Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska may 
proceed.
    The Burke Museum is responsible for notifying the Qawalangin Tribe 
of Unalaska that this notice has been published.

    Dated: April 2, 2015.
Mariah Soriano,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2015-09922 Filed 4-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-50P