2024-23371. Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, Santa Fe, NM, and New Mexico Junior College-Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame, Hobbs, NM

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Department of the Interior

National Park Service

1. [NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0038842; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office (BLM), and New Mexico Junior College—Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame (NMJC) has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES:

Repatriation of the human remains in this notice may occur on or after November 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Cynthia Herhahn, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508, telephone [phone], email [e-mail], and Laura Hockensmith, New Mexico Junior College—Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame, 1 Thunderbird Circle, Hobbs, NM 88240, telephone [phone], email [e-mail].

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 BLM and NMJC, and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

Based on the information available, human remains representing, at least, four individuals have been reasonably identified. Between 1960 and 1970, the individuals were removed from the Lusk Ranch Site (NM-06-2099; LA43721), Eddy County, New Mexico, by Calvin C. Smith, the father of the previous Executive Director of the ( print page 81938) Western Heritage Museum. In 2013, the individuals were encountered by volunteer staff at the NMJC. The land from which the individuals were removed is under the control of the BLM and was at the time of removal. The NMJC has no knowledge or record of any potentially hazardous substances being used to treat the human remains. No associated funerary objects are present.

Cultural Affiliation

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

Determinations

The BLM and NMJC has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of four individuals of Native American ancestry.
• There is a reasonable connection between the human remains described in this notice and the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Comanche Nation, Oklahoma; Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona; Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico; Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma; Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico; Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico; 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; San Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona; Santo Domingo Pueblo; Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona; White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona; Yavapai-Apache Nation of the Camp Verde Indian Reservation, Arizona; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo; and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

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 a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.

Repatriation of the human remains in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after November 8, 2024. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the BLM and NMJC must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains are considered a single request and not competing requests. The BLM and NMJC is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

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

Dated: September 30, 2024.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.