01-27050. Notice of Inventory Completion for Native American Human Remains and Associated Funerary Objects in the Possession of the University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with provisions of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 43 CFR 10.9, of the completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects in the possession of the University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology, Denver, CO.

This notice is published as part of the National Park Service’s administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR 10.2 (c). The determinations within this notice are the sole responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of these Native American human remains and associated funerary objects. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations within this notice.

A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona and California; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; 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 San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

Between 1972 and 1976, human remains representing eight individuals (catalog numbers 29VA1 4-11, 29VA1 63-2, 29VA1 77-6, 29VA1 77-10, 29VA1 85-2, and 29VA1 85-6) were recovered from the Pettit site, near Ramah, Cibola County, NM, by faculty and students of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, during an archeological fieldschool. In 1988, the human remains and associated funerary objects were transferred to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology for permanent curation, and in 1996, Gordon and Elsa Pettit, the owners of the land, signed a deed of gift transferring all rights to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology. No known individuals were identified. The 178 associated funerary objects are 94 sherds (including cord-marked, Black-on-Red, and Black-on-White), 42 chipped stones, 3 chipped stone flakes, 3 rocks, 1 ground stone, 22 nonhuman bones, 2 shell fragments, 7 charcoal samples, 2 pollen samples, and 2 soil samples.

The Pettit site, 29VA1 (LA 59484), is in Togeye Canyon, a few kilometers southeast of Ramah, NM, near the Pueblo of Zuni. It is a pueblo of at least 154 rooms and has been dated to A.D. 1190-1250. The Pettit site is generally considered to be a PIII period (circa A.D. 1150-1350) site, or, in some chronologies, a Reorganization period site. Both refer to a time period just prior to the large population aggregations of the PIV and Aggregation periods on the Colorado Plateau. PIII and PIV are Ancestral Puebloan time periods, and in the scientific literature the Ancestral Puebloans are widely accepted as culturally affiliated to modern Puebloan peoples. The Reorganization period is a concept attributed to Cordell and Gumerman’s 1989 book “Dynamics of Southwestern Prehistory.” This refers to a time period characterized by population displacements and migrations, reconfiguration of trade networks, the beginnings of population aggregation into larger sites, and experimentation with new forms of social organization.

Oral and written testimony from the Hopi Tribe, Pueblo of Acoma, and Navajo Nation supported cultural affiliation between those Indian tribes and these human remains and associated funerary objects. Pueblo of Jemez presented oral testimony supported by maps that suggested that the Pettit site is beyond the Pueblo of Jemez’ traditional territory, but the museum believes that Pueblo of Jemez is culturally affiliated with these human remains and associated funerary objects because the scientific literature supports cultural affiliation of Ancestral Puebloans with all modern Puebloan peoples: Hopi, Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Cochiti, Pueblo of Isleta, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Laguna, Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo of Picuris, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo of San Felipe, Pueblo of San Ildefonso, Pueblo of San Juan, Pueblo of Sandia, Pueblo of Santa Ana, Pueblo of Santa Clara, Pueblo of Santo Domingo, Pueblo of Taos, Pueblo of Tesuque, Pueblo of Ysleta del Sur, Pueblo of Zia, and Pueblo of Zuni.

Based on the above-mentioned information, officials of the University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(1), the human remains listed above represent the physical remains of eight individuals of Native American ancestry. Officials of the University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology also have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2), the 178 objects listed above 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. Lastly, officials of the University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (e), there is a relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between these Native American human remains and associated funerary objects and the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; 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 San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

This notice has been sent to officials of the Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona and California; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; 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 San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these human remains and associated funerary objects should contact Jan I. Bernstein, Collections Manager and NAGPRA Coordinator, University of Denver Department of Anthropology and Museum of Anthropology, 2000 Asbury, Sturm Hall S-146, Denver, CO 80208-2406, e-mail [e-mail], telephone [phone], before November 26, 2001. Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah; 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 San Juan, New Mexico; Pueblo of Sandia, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico; Pueblo of Santo Domingo, New Mexico; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico may begin after that date if no additional claimants come forward.

Dated: August 8, 2001.

John Robbins,

Assistant Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships.