83 FR 17436 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 76 (April 19, 2018)

The Wisconsin Historical Society has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, 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 associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the Wisconsin Historical Society. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 76 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17436-17438]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08183]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0025296, PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Inventory Completion: Wisconsin Historical Society, 
Madison, WI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Wisconsin Historical Society has completed an inventory of 
human remains and associated funerary objects, 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 associated funerary objects 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 and 
associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the 
Wisconsin Historical Society. If no additional requestors come forward, 
transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects 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 and associated funerary 
objects should submit a written request with information in support of 
the request to the Wisconsin Historical

[[Page 17437]]

Society at the address in this notice by May 21, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Jennifer Kolb, Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State 
Street, Madison, WI 53706, telephone (608) 264-6434, 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 objects under the control of the Wisconsin 
Historical Society, Madison, WI. The human remains and associated 
funerary objects were removed from four locations in Winnebago County, 
WI.
    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 and associated funerary 
objects. The National Park Service is not responsible for the 
determinations in this notice.

Consultation

    A detailed assessment of the human remains and associated funerary 
objects was made by the Wisconsin Historical Society professional staff 
in consultation with representatives of the Forest County Potawatomi 
Community, Wisconsin; Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau 
Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau 
Reservation of Wisconsin; Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin; and 
Upper Sioux Community, Minnesota.

History and Description of the Remains

    In 1994, human remains representing, at minimum, four individuals 
were removed from Plummer's Point (47-WN-0055) in Winnebago County, WI. 
The site consists of a mound, garden beds, cache pits, fire pits, and 
burials. An unknown person collected the human remains eroding from an 
animal burrow. Through skeletal analysis, Wisconsin Historical Society 
staff determined the human remains represent three adults of 
indeterminate sex and one juvenile of indeterminate sex. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 1993, human remains representing, at minimum, three individuals 
were removed from Butte des Morts Burials (47-WN-0083) in Winnebago 
County, WI. The human remains were discovered while digging a trench 
for a water line on a residential plot. Wisconsin Historical Society 
Burial Sites Preservation Office staff and Jeff Behm, Assistant 
Professor of Anthropology at University of Wisconsin--Oshkosh (UW--
Oshkosh), excavated the burials. The exposed human remains were 
transferred to the Wisconsin Historical Society for examination while 
the rest of the burials were left in situ. The human remains were 
determined to represent two adult males and one adult female. No known 
individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.
    In 1993, human remains representing, at minimum, 19 individuals 
were removed from the Barefoot Site (47-WN-0280) in Winnebago County, 
WI. The human remains were excavated prior to the construction of a new 
housing subdivision, just east of the town of Winneconne. Initial 
machine stripping of the site revealed numerous features and a number 
of burials. Mapping and limited excavations of these features were done 
by archeologists Richard and Carol Mason under the direction of the 
Wisconsin Historical Society Burial Sites Protection Office (BSPO). 
Archeologists from the BSPO excavated nine burials (Burials 1-9). An 
additional four burials were excavated by archeologists from UW--
Oshkosh; these human remains were transferred to the Wisconsin 
Historical Society (Burials 10-13). There is no archeological report 
describing Burials 1-9. Skeletal analysis for Burials 1-9 was completed 
in 2015 and it was discovered that none of the human remains were 
labeled as being from Burial 6. Because Wisconsin Historical Society 
has in its possession a copper celt that was found with Burial 6, it is 
possible that the human remains from Burial 6 are present but were 
mislabeled as being from another burial. However, absent an 
archeological report for Burials 1-9, it is impossible to determine 
which human remains were excavated from Burial 6 or if human remains 
were excavated from that feature. The human remains from all of the 
burial features were determined to represent eight adult males, four 
adult females, five juveniles, and two individuals of indeterminate age 
and sex. No known individuals were identified. The five associated 
funerary objects are one copper celt, one pipe, one chert point, one 
group of glass beads, and one stem fragment from a kaolin pipe.
    At an unknown date, human remains representing, at minimum, two 
individuals were removed from Blair Burials (47-WN-0720) in Winnebago 
County, WI. Sometime prior to 1912, the human remains were removed from 
a gravel pit located on the T.B. Blair property on a gravel ridge 
overlooking the western shore of Lake Butte des Morts. Charles E. Brown 
of the Wisconsin Historical Society states the human remains were 
discovered when a railroad cut was excavated. Blair donated the human 
remains to the Wisconsin Historical Society in 1920. In a letter to 
Charles E. Brown dated January 13, 1912, Blair states that he had two 
skulls in his possession. Based on the description given by Blair, it 
is assumed that these skulls are those currently in Wisconsin 
Historical Society's possession. In 1949, the mandible from one of the 
skulls was loaned to the University of Wisconsin--Madison and was 
returned to the Wisconsin Historical Society in 2011. Skeletal analysis 
conducted in 2005 determined that the human remains represent an adult, 
possibly female, and an adult male of mixed ancestry. This 
determination was confirmed after the return of the loaned mandible. No 
known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are 
present.

Determinations Made by the Wisconsin Historical Society

    Officials of the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Historical 
Society records, burial location, archeological context, oral 
histories, and skeletal analysis.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described 
in this notice represent the physical remains of 28 individuals of 
Native American ancestry.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the five objects 
described in this notice 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.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared 
group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American 
human remains associated funerary objects 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 Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin; Menominee 
Indian Tribe of Wisconsin; Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; and 
the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

[[Page 17438]]

     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.11(c)(1), the disposition of the 
human remains may be to the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin; Menominee 
Indian Tribe of Wisconsin; Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; and 
the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

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 and associated funerary objects should submit a 
written request with information in support of the request to Jennifer 
Kolb, Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, WI 
53706, telephone (608) 264-6434, email 
[email protected], by May 21, 2018. After that date, 
if no additional requestors have come forward, transfer of control of 
the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Ho-Chunk 
Nation of Wisconsin; Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin; Stockbridge 
Munsee Community, Wisconsin; and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska may 
proceed.
    The Wisconsin Historical Society is responsible for notifying the 
Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Ho-Chunk Nation of 
Wisconsin; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 
the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin; Menominee Indian Tribe of 
Wisconsin; Stockbridge Munsee Community, Wisconsin; Upper Sioux 
Community, Minnesota; and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska that this 
notice has been published.

    Dated: March 22, 2018.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2018-08183 Filed 4-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P