83 FR 14494 - Notice of Inventory Completion: La Plata County Historical Society, Durango, CO

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 65 (April 4, 2018)

The La Plata County Historical Society 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 La Plata County Historical Society. 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 83, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14494-14496]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06833]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0025169; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: La Plata County Historical 
Society, Durango, CO

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The La Plata County Historical Society has completed an 
inventory of human remains in consultation with the appropriate Indian 
Tribes or Native Hawaiian

[[Page 14495]]

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 La Plata County Historical Society. 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 La Plata 
County Historical Society at the address in this notice by May 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Kathy McKenzie, Board President, La Plata County Historical 
Society, 3065 W. 2nd Avenue, Durango, CO 81301, telephone (970) 259-
2402, 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 La Plata County Historical Society, Durango, CO. The 
human remains were removed from an unknown location, most likely in 
southwest Colorado or northwest New Mexico.
    This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's 
administrative 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 La Plata 
County Historical Society professional staff in partnership with Dr. 
Dawn Mulhern, biological anthropologist from Fort Lewis College, and in 
consultation with representatives of Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla 
Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico (previously listed 
as the Pueblo of Santo Domingo); Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (previously 
listed as the Pueblo of San Juan); Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Cochiti, New Mexico; Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, 
New Mexico; Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of San Felipe, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo 
of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa 
Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the 
Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado; Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (previously 
listed as the Ute Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation, 
Colorado, New Mexico and Utah); Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (previously 
listed as the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas); and the Zuni Tribe of 
the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

History and Description of the Remains

    Between 1936 and 1968, human remains representing, at minimum, 
three individuals were removed from an unknown archeological site 
probably in southwest Colorado or northwest New Mexico. The human 
remains were likely excavated by avocational archeologist Helen Sloan 
Daniels from Durango, CO. The two crania and a partial mandible were in 
a box marked ``skulls'' and were in the possession of Ms. Daniels they 
were donated to the La Plata County Historical Society in 1989. Ms. 
Daniels was known to have collected artifacts and human remains 
primarily from southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico for 
research and display purposes beginning in the mid-1930s and continuing 
into the 1960s. Collection and archival work by the staff at the La 
Plata County Historical Society failed to find any additional 
documentation regarding these individuals, and these human remains 
could not be re-associated with any other human remains in this 
collection.
    Catalog Number 89.30.75 (LPCHS-06) is represented by a mostly 
complete cranium and mandible of an adult female of Native American 
ancestry between 20-35 years old. There is no cranial modification, but 
the sagittal suture exhibits very slight kneeling. Catalog Number 
89.30.77(LPCHS-08) is represented by a mostly complete cranium and 
complete mandible of an adult female of Native American ancestry 
between 17-20 years old. The occipital and the sphenoid are 
significantly fragmented; everything else is about 75% complete. The 
cranium does not exhibit cranial deformation. Catalog number 89.30.79 
(LCPCHS-10) is represented by the right half of a mandible with the 
first and second premolar as well as the first and third molar of an 
adult of probable Native American ancestry of indeterminate sex between 
20-35 years old. No known individuals were identified. No associated 
funerary objects are present.

Determinations Made by the La Plata County Historical Society

    Officials of the La Plata County Historical Society have determined 
that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice are Native American based on the collection history and 
biological analysis.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of three 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.
     Treaties, Acts of Congress, or Executive Orders indicate 
that the land from which the Native American human remains were removed 
is the aboriginal land of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache 
Nation, New Mexico; Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico (previously listed as the 
Pueblo of Santo Domingo); Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah; 
Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico (previously listed as the Pueblo of San 
Juan); Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico; Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico; Pueblo of 
Laguna, New Mexico; Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico; Pueblo of Picuris, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico; Pueblo of San Felipe, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New 
Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; 
Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern 
Ute Reservation, Colorado; Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray 
Reservation, Utah; Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (previously listed as the Ute 
Mountain Tribe of the Ute Mountain Reservation), Colorado, New Mexico, 
and Utah; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (previously listed as the Ysleta Del 
Sur Pueblo of Texas); and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New 
Mexico, hereafter referred to as ``The Tribes.''
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains may be The Tribes.

[[Page 14496]]

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 Kathy McKenzie, Board President, La Plata 
County Historical Society, 3065 W 2nd Avenue, Durango, CO 81301, 
telephone (970) 259-2402, email [email protected], by May 4, 
2018. After that date, if no additional requestors have come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains to The Tribes may proceed.
    The La Plata County Historical Society is responsible for notifying 
The Tribes that this notice has been published.

    Dated: March 5, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-06833 Filed 4-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P