SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the Department of the Army and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

Human remains representing, at least, one individual have been identified. Records indicate that construction of the Fort Vancouver barracks in 1915 may have resulted in the removal of an undetermined number of burials and Native American remains. It is believed this Ancestor, a young woman, was removed during this time. The exact origin location is unclear, though according to records, portions of the east and west barracks overlapped with the original Hudson's Bay Company cemetery. The U.S. Army managed the Fort until June 19, 1948, when it was declared a U.S. National Monument and a portion transferred to the National Park Service (NPS), though the Army maintained responsibility for the barracks/cemetery area. The remaining Army property at Fort Vancouver was transferred to NPS in 2012 under the BRAC Program. The only provenance information related to the Ancestor's arrival at the Oregon Historical Society, where she is currently located, was a handwritten piece of paper associated with the remains stating they were donated in 1948 by Dr. Alan Welch Smith. To the best of the Army's knowledge, the collection has not been treated with any hazardous substances.

Cultural Affiliation

Based on the information available and the results of consultation, cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available about the human remains described in this notice. This connection was made using information available to the agency, provided in consultation, and through recognition of the treaty rights accorded by the Willamette Valley Treaty (1855).

Determinations

The Department of the Army has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
• There is a connection between the human remains described in this notice and the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES . Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:

1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation.

Repatriation of the human remains described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after October 16, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the Department of the Army must determine the most ( printed page 58701) appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains are considered a single request and not competing requests. The Department of the Army is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and any other consulting parties.

Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.

91 FR 58700