80 FR 71836 - Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 221 (November 17, 2015)

The Dallas Museum of Art, 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 sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony. 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 Dallas Museum of Art. 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 80, Number 221 (Tuesday, November 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71836-71837]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-29360]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-19321; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Dallas Museum of 
Art, Dallas, TX

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 71837]]

SUMMARY: The Dallas Museum of Art, 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 sacred 
objects and objects of cultural patrimony. 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 Dallas Museum of Art. 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 Dallas Museum of Art at the 
address in this notice by December 17, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Carol Griffin, Registrar, Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North 
Harwood Street, Dallas, TX 75201, telephone (214) 922-1327, 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 Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, that meet the 
definition of sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony 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 Item(s)

    In 1988, 27 masks and mask parts and two wrist guards were acquired 
by the Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas, TX, through a local gallery in 
Dallas, TX. According to the gallery's owner, the masks, mask parts, 
and wrist guards were bought from a private Arizona collector who had 
purchased them from the son of a former head of the Hopi Badger Clan. 
These items were reported in the summaries in 1993 through compliance 
with NAGPRA. Following the summary, the number of parts associated with 
this accession was variously corrected and updated through 
identification and pairing. According to museum records, the mask, mask 
parts, and wrist guards have never been placed on exhibit; they have 
remained in storage since acquisition.
    In 2009, the Dallas Museum of Art accepted by donation two dance 
wands, which had been on loan to the museum since 1984 by a Dallas 
collector. The dance wands had been on exhibit at the time of 
consultation in 1993 by representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona. 
They were promptly placed in storage following the visit.
    The 31 sacred objects hereby submitted in this notice for intent to 
repatriate include: 2 woman's society dance wands (a pair); 1 case mask 
of Kokopelli, hump-backed flute player; 1 case mask of the Laguna corn 
dancer; 1 half-mask; 23 accessories for case masks, 1 pair of wrist 
guards; and 2 dance caps.
    In 1993, the Hopi Tribe of Arizona came to the museum to review the 
collection, identifying the respective masks parts. The Dallas Museum 
of Art was in correspondence with the Hopi Tribe of Arizona in 1997 and 
1998 regarding the potential for treatment of the organic materials, 
for which the museum had no record of treatment for objects within the 
1988 acquisition. The Dallas Museum of Art and Hopi Tribe of Arizona 
renewed correspondence about the masks and mask parts in 2014, which 
included at that time additional information regarding the dance wands. 
A request for repatriation of these 31 items was submitted by the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona on December 23, 2014. The Dallas Museum of Art 
formally recognized the claim on March 19, 2015 with Board of Trustees 
approval.

Determination Made by the Dallas Museum of Art

    Officials of the Dallas Museum of Art have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(C), the 31 cultural items 
described above are specific ceremonial objects needed by traditional 
Native American religious leaders for the practice of traditional 
Native American religions by their present-day adherents.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(D), the 31 cultural items 
described above have ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural 
importance central to the Native American group or culture itself, 
rather than property owned by an individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), there is a relationship of 
shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the sacred 
objects and the Hopi Tribe of Arizona.

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: Carol Griffin, Registrar, Dallas Museum of 
Art, 1717 North Harwood Street, Dallas, Texas 75201, telephone (214) 
922-1327, email [email protected] by December 17, 2015. After that date, 
if no additional claimants have come forward, transfer of control of 
the sacred objects/objects of cultural patrimony to the Hopi Tribe of 
Arizona may proceed.
    The Dallas Museum of Art is responsible for notifying the Hopi 
Tribe of Arizona that this notice has been published.

    Dated: September 15, 2015.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2015-29360 Filed 11-16-15; 8:45 am]
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