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 GRPM, 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, 21 individuals have been identified (five of which are currently missing). Of the 174 associated funerary objects, 151 are present and 23 are missing. The 151 present objects are seven balls of earth, two bear jaw fragments, one bear tooth, eight bone awls and bone awl fragments, one bone pendant, two Busycon shell dippers, one canine skull, two cannel coal rubbing implements, one clay pipe, one core, one discoidal stone, one drill, two flint spades, two hammerstones, two lenticular stones, 13 lots of chips, three lots of galena crystals, one lot of mammal bone fragments, eight lots of mica, two mussel shell halves, two pieces of melted lead, two pipe casts, 33 pottery sherds, 26 projectile points, one red ochre paint stone, one sand conglomerate, 13 scrapers, five stone knives, one string of crinoidal sections, one tortoise carapace fragment, one ungrooved axe cast and four ungrooved stone axes. The 23 missing associated funerary objects are two balls of earth, two banded slate objects, one bone awl, one charcoal fragment, one copper awl, two drilled tablets, one earthen pot, one pendant, three pottery sherds, seven ( printed page 65769) projectile points, one scraper and one stone object.

The human remains and associated funerary objects were excavated by Elliott H. Crane (b. 1840-d. 1917) from Goodall Mounds (#12LE9), La Porte County, Indiana, at an unknown date. On July 10, 1917, the GRPM purchased a substantial number of objects from the Crane Estate. Crane was a collector and proprietor of Crane's Museum in Grand Rapids who excavated mounds in the Midwest in the late 1800s. GRPM continues to look for any missing human remains and associated funerary objects. No known hazardous substances are present. These human remains and associated funerary objects were part of a joint consultation effort to bring together human remains and associated funerary objects from multiple institutions.

Cultural Affiliation

Based on the information available and the results of consultation, cultural affiliation is reasonably identified by the geographical location or acquisition history of the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice.

Determinations

The GRPM has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the remains of at least 21 individuals of Native American ancestry.
• The 174 objects described in this notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony.
• There is a connection between the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma; Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Kaw Nation, Oklahoma; Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas; Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi (previously listed as Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan); Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (Mille Lacs Band); Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan; Omaha Tribe of Nebraska; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana; Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Ponca Tribe of Nebraska; Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation; Shawnee Tribe; Seneca Nation of Indians; and the Tonawanda Band of Seneca.

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after November 16, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the GRPM must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing requests. The GRPM 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 65768