2024-27514. Notice of Intended Repatriation: Museum of Us, San Diego, CA

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Department of the Interior

National Park Service

1. [NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0039111; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Museum of Us intends to repatriate certain cultural items that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and that have a cultural affiliation with the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

DATES:

Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice may occur on or after December 26, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Carmen Mosley, NAGPRA Repatriation Manager, Museum of Us, 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101, telephone [phone] Ext. 42, 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 Museum of Us, and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the summary or related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

A total of 145 cultural items have been requested for repatriation. The 14 unassociated funerary objects removed from Thistle Mound (CV-12) in Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA, include eight pieces of flat matting bone needles, three stone discs, one hammerstone, one string of Olivella shell beads, and one string of clam shell beads. The 131 unassociated funerary objects removed from Lovejoy (Dalton) Mound (CV-16) in Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA include two lots of carbonized basketry material, one basket fragment, 36 Haliotis ornament pieces, six bipointed bone objects, 19 perforated carnivore canine teeth, 64 projectile points, and three perforated mica pendants.

Between 1930 and 1936, the 145 unassociated funerary objects were removed by Henry Gibbs, a private collector and looter. In 1937, Paul A. Walker purchased Gibbs' Central Valley, California archeological collection. Walker was an amateur archeologist and collector who worked by himself and with other amateur archeologists, and in collaboration with the University of California and Sacramento Junior College. Over the course of his life, Walker amassed an extensive archeological collection from California's Central Valley and smaller collections from Northern and Southern California, and outside of California. In 1968, Walker's private archeological collection was acquired by the San Diego Museum of Man (now Museum of Us) through a purchase/donation transaction with Walker's widow, Bessie B. Walker.

Determinations

The Museum of Us has determined that:

• The 145 unassociated funerary objects described above are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual human remains, and are connected, either at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony of a Native American culture according to the Native American traditional knowledge of a lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization. The unassociated funerary objects have been identified by a preponderance of the evidence as related to human remains, specific individuals, or families, or removed from a specific burial site or burial area of an individual or individuals with cultural affiliation to an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
• There is a reasonable connection between the cultural items described in this notice and the Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California and the Wilton Rancheria, California.

Requests for Repatriation

Additional, written requests for repatriation of the cultural items in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES . Requests for repatriation may be submitted by any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that ( print page 92976) the requestor is a lineal descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.

Repatriation of the cultural items in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after December 26, 2024. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the Museum of Us must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the cultural items are considered a single request and not competing requests. The Museum of Us is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and to any other consulting parties.

Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3004 and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9.

Dated: November 18, 2024.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.