2023-09900. Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (PMAE) 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 collected at the Government School in Chitina, Valdez-Cordova County, AK.

DATES:

Repatriation of the human remains in this notice may occur on or after June 9, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Jane Pickering, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, 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 PMAE. 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 PMAE.

Description

Human remains representing, at minimum, 20 individuals were collected at the Government School, Chitina, in Valdez-Cordova County, AK. The human remains are hair clippings collected from 20 individuals all identified as “Copper River Indians”: two individuals recorded as being 14 years old; two individuals recorded as being 16 years old; one individual recorded as being 17 years old; one individual recorded as being 18 years old; one individual recorded as being 19 years old; one individual recorded as being 23 years old; one individual recorded as being 24 years old; one individual recorded as being 27 years old; one individual recorded as being 30 years old; one individual recorded as being 35 years old; one individual recorded as being 42 years old; one individual recorded as being 46 years old; one individual recorded as being 48 years old; two individuals recorded as being 50 years old; one individual recorded as being 53 years old; one individual recorded as being 56 years old; and one individual recorded as being 70 years old. An unknown collector described as a “Government teacher” took the hair clippings at the Government School in Chitina between 1930 and 1933. The collector sent the hair clippings to George Woodbury, who donated the hair clippings to the PMAE in 1935. 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: kinship and anthropological.

Determinations

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

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of 20 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 Native Village of Chitina.

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 June 9, 2023. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the PMAE 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 PMAE 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, 10.10, and 10.14.

Dated: May 3, 2023.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.