81 FR 19636 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Catalina Island Museum, Avalon, CA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 65 (April 5, 2016)

The Catalina Island Museum has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 should submit a written request to the Catalina Island Museum. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19636-19638]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07764]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-20590; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Catalina Island Museum, Avalon, 
CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Catalina Island Museum has completed an inventory of human 
remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native 
Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural 
affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribes 
or Native Hawaiian organizations. 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 should submit a 
written request to the Catalina Island Museum. If no additional 
requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to 
the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this 
notice may proceed.

DATES: 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 should submit a written 
request with information in support of the request to the Catalina 
Island Museum at the address in this notice by May 5, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Michael DeMarsche, Ph.D., Catalina Island Museum, 1 Casino 
Way, Casino Building, P.O. Box 366, Avalon, CA 90704, telephone (310) 
510-2416, 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 under 
the control of the Catalina Island Museum, Avalon, CA. The human 
remains were removed from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara Counties, CA and 
potentially Solano, Placer, and Sacramento Counties, CA.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative

[[Page 19637]]

responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 43 CFR 
10.11(d). 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. 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 Catalina 
Island Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives 
of Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez 
Reservation, California; United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn 
Rancheria of California; Wilton Rancheria, California; Yocha Dehe 
Wintun Nation, California (previously listed as the Rumsey Indian 
Rancheria of Wintun Indians of California, and the following 
nonfederally recognized Indian groups: the Ti'at Society and the 
Traditional Council of Pimu.

History and Description of the Remains

    In October 1960, human remains representing, at minimum, three 
individuals were removed from Avalon, Los Angeles County, CA. 
Collection 61.322 consists of a human crania and mandible that were 
donated by the Santa Catalina Island Co. The human remains were found 
along with a notecard that stated, ``found in patio of Pavilion Lodge, 
Avalon, Calif. October 11, 1960.'' There is no information to assume 
they were excavated from the property. Collection 61.323 consists of an 
incomplete set of human remains donated by the Santa Catalina Island 
Co. that also may have been removed from the Pavilion Lodge Hotel in 
Avalon. There is no information to assume they were excavated from the 
property. The three adults (2 female and 1 male) were identified as 
Native American based on osteological metric and non-metric analysis. 
No known individuals were identified. The one associated funerary 
object is an abalone shell found with the human remains identified as 
#61.323.
    At an unknown time, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from an unknown location, presumably Santa 
Catalina Island, Los Angeles, CA. This collection of human remains was 
found within the Catalina Island Museum's human remains collection when 
it returned from University of California Santa Barbara in 2010. 
Unfortunately no documentation could be located to further our 
understanding of the location and date acquired. There were three bags 
of human remains with only the date, 8.2.93 identified on each bag. No 
comparison has been found so far. The human remains were identified as 
two adults of indeterminate sex and were identified as Native American 
based on osteological metric and non-metric analysis. One individual 
shows evidence of burning. No known individuals were identified. No 
associated funerary objects are present.
    Possibly in 1907, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from the Channel Islands, Los Angeles and 
Santa Barbara Counties, CA. This collection was donated to the Catalina 
Island Museum by Loring L. Bigelow in 2009. Loring Bigelow acquired the 
human remains from his father Lewis Bigelow who had received the human 
remains as a gift in 1907 from Orrin Weston, brother of Ben Weston (a 
Catalina Island rancher-sheep grazer). At that time Orrin Weston stated 
that he picked up the human remains on one of the Channel Islands while 
touring on their yacht. The human remains were identified as two 
adults, one male and one female, of Native American ancestry based on 
osteological metric and non-metric analysis. No known individuals were 
identified. No associated funerary objects are present.
    From 1915 to 1928, human remains representing, at minimum, 194 
individuals were removed from San Nicolas Island, Santa Catalina 
Island, and San Clemente Islands in Los Angeles County, CA, from San 
Miguel Island in Santa Barbara County, CA, as well as purchased from a 
number of shell mounds located within the Sacramento Valley including 
Kings Mound, Johnston's Mound, Auburn Mound, and Vacaville Mound 
located in Solano, Placer, and Sacramento Counties. The Glidden 
Collection was purchased by the Catalina Museum Society in 1962, and 
became the foundation for the Catalina Island Museum's archeological 
collections. Based on photographs and journals, now held within the 
Catalina Island Museum's archives, hundreds of burials and thousands of 
objects were removed by Glidden from Santa Catalina, San Clemente, San 
Nicolas, and San Miguel Islands between 1919 and 1928. A majority of 
the collection was amassed under the sponsorship of the Gustav Heye 
Foundation located in New York. After the patronage with the Heye 
Foundation ended by 1923, Glidden built his own museum. A portion of 
the Museum of the American Indian of the Channel Islands opened in 
Avalon in 1926, with the human remains and cultural materials not sent 
to the Heye Foundation or to Chicago's Field Museum. Glidden continued 
to add to his collections through additional excavations on Catalina 
Island. Glidden also added to his collection by purchasing human 
remains and other objects from dealers located around the country, with 
documentation identifying several as coming from a number of mounds 
from Sacramento Valley. The cultural affiliation of the human remains 
and cultural items from the Glidden collection has been complicated at 
best. Although Glidden used a basic sequential numbering system to 
briefly describe his finds in his excavation journals, these numbers 
were not transferred to the human remains, objects or photos that he 
took. As a result, linking the physical human remains and burial 
objects to its original provenience is impossible. We can only surmise 
that these items could be affiliated with Tongva or Chumash based on 
the locations of the island within each tribal territory. However, 
invoices and letters particularly between Glidden and Smith's Coin and 
Curio Company located in Sacramento, identifies that Glidden ordered, 
paid for, and received human remains and artifacts. In his letters to 
Glidden, proprietor Carl Smith states that the human remains and other 
items came from a number of shell mounds located within the Sacramento 
Valley including Kings Mound, Johnston's Mound, Auburn Mound, and 
Vacaville Mound. There are no marks or data that identify provenience 
with specific human remains or items within the Glidden Collection. 
Further complicating the situation, correspondence between Glidden and 
potential collectors shows that Glidden sold some of his collections. 
During osteological analysis of the human remains, numerous non-Native 
American ethnicities have been identified including individuals of 
European, African, and Asian descent. Human remains of non-native 
ancestry are not included in this notice. There are a minimum of 194 
individuals that can be identified to Native American ancestry based on 
metric and non-metric analysis, including 176 adults (of which 89 can 
be distinguished as female and 82 male) and 18 sub-adults, of 
indeterminate sex. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.
    At the time of the excavation and removal of these human remains, 
the land from which the human remains were removed was not the tribal 
land of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization. In 2015, the 
Catalina Island Museum consulted with all Indian tribes who are 
recognized as

[[Page 19638]]

aboriginal to the area from which these Native American human remains 
were removed. These tribes are Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission 
Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California, United Auburn Indian 
Community of the Auburn Rancheria, Wilton Rancheria, California, and 
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, California. Since none of the human remains 
can be individually distinguished as being from a particular community, 
the Catalina Island Museum agreed to transfer control of the human 
remains to Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez 
Reservation, California.

Determinations Made by the Catalina Island Museum

    Officials of the Catalina Island Museum have determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American ancestry based on metric and non-
metric osteological analysis.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 201 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains and any present-day Indian tribe.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(2)(i), the disposition of the 
human remains may be to Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of 
the Santa Ynez Reservation, California.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    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 should submit a written request with information 
in support of the request to Michael DeMarsche, Ph.D., Catalina Island 
Museum, 1 Casino Way, Casino Building, P.O. Box 366, Avalon, CA 90704, 
telephone (310) 510-2416, email [email protected], by May 5, 
2016. After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains to Santa Ynez Band of Chumash 
Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, California may proceed.
    The Catalina Island Museum is responsible for notifying the Santa 
Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians of the Santa Ynez Reservation, 
California, United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria, 
Wilton Rancheria, California, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, California 
that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 10, 2016.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-07764 Filed 4-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-50-P