2024-04982. Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Eugene, OR

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History has completed an inventory of human remains and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice. The human remains were removed from Lake County, OR.

DATES:

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

ADDRESSES:

Dr. Pamela Endzweig, Director of Anthropological Collections, University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1224 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403–1224, 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 University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History. 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 the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

Description

In 1972, fragmentary human remains representing, at minimum, one individual, were removed from Lake County, OR. According to documentation accompanying the human remains, they were collected by a University of Oregon archeologist on September 23, 1972, at a location in “the Windust area of large camp, south shore Christmas Lake.” A handwritten site form by the collector referencing the same date indicates that this site is possibly 35LK1355, also known as the AWOL site. The archeologist worked at the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History (former designation) around this time and likely deposited the remains for safe-keeping. The age and sex of the human remains are indeterminate. No associated funerary objects are present.

Human remains representing, at minimum, one individual, were removed from Lake County, OR. At an unknown date, human remains were collected by an unknown collector from Christmas Valley, Lake County, Oregon. The human remains (catalogued as 11–517) are from an adult female, 50–60 years of age. No associated funerary objects are present.

In 1966, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual, were removed from Lake County, OR. Humans remains were collected from Fort Rock Cave (35LK1), Lake County, OR, during legally authorized excavations by University of Oregon archeologists. The fragmentary human remains were located during recent analysis of faunal materials from the site. There is no reference to them in archived field records or catalog for this unit (Square 4) and 1966 work at the site was in highly disturbed deposits. The age and sex of the human remains are indeterminate. No associated funerary objects are present.

Cultural Affiliation

The human remains in this notice are connected to one or more identifiable earlier groups, tribes, peoples, or cultures. There is a relationship of shared group identity between the identifiable earlier groups, tribes, peoples, or cultures and one or more Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. The following types of information were used to reasonably trace the relationship: anthropological information, geographical information.

Determinations

Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of three individuals of Native American ancestry.

• There is a relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the human remains described in this notice and the Burns Paiute Tribe; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon; and the Klamath Tribes.

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains in this notice must be sent to the Responsible Official identified in 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 April 8, 2024. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History 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 University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

This notice was submitted before the effective date of the revised regulations (88 FR 86452, December 13, 2023, effective January 12, 2024). As the notice conforms to the mandatory format of the Federal Register and includes the required information, the National Park Service is publishing this notice as submitted.

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

Dated: February 29, 2024.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.