2023-05731. Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Tennessee, McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, Knoxville, TN

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Tennessee, McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture (UTK), has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains were removed from Humphreys County, TN.

DATES:

Disposition of the human remains in this notice may occur on or after April 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Dr. Ozlem Kilic, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, University of Tennessee, 527 Andy Holt Tower, Knoxville, TN 37996-0152, telephone [phone], email [e-mail] and [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 UTK. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice. Additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in the inventory or related records held by UTK.

Description

Sometime before 1943, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual were removed from 40HS218, the Wafford (or, alternatively, Watford/Wofford) Farm site, in Humphreys County, TN, by an unknown individual. These ancestral human remains were included in the George Barnes “collection” that was purchased by UTK in 1949. Barnes and his father had “excavated and collected” from many sites throughout the Tennessee River Valley during the early 20th century. No known individual was identified. No associated funerary objects are present.

Aboriginal Land

The human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice were removed from known geographic locations. These locations are the aboriginal lands of one or more Indian Tribes. The following information was used to identify the aboriginal land: a treaty.

Determinations

Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, UTK has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American ancestry.
• No relationship of shared group identity can be reasonably traced between the human remains and associated funerary objects and any Indian Tribe.
• The human remains described in this notice were removed from the aboriginal land of The Chickasaw Nation.

Requests for Disposition

Written requests for disposition of the human remains in this notice must be sent to the Responsible Official identified in ADDRESSES . Requests for disposition may be submitted by:

1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes 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, or who shows that the requestor is an aboriginal land Indian Tribe.

Disposition of the human remains described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after April 20, 2023. If competing requests for disposition are received, UTK must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to disposition. Requests for joint disposition of the human remains are considered a single request and not competing requests. UTK is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribe identified in this notice.

Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.9 and 10.11.

Dated: March 15, 2023.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.