[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-13168]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 31, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items in the Possession
of the Nebraska State Historical Society
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior
ACTION: Notice
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Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection
and Repatriation Act of 1990 of the intent to repatriate cultural items
in the possession of the Nebraska State Historical Society that meet
the definition of ``unassociated funerary objects'' under section 2 of
the Act.
The 31,651 unassociated funerary objects were recovered from
fourteen archeological sites located in Butler (25BU1, 25BU4), Hamilton
(25HM2), Howard (25HW1, 25HW3, 25HW5), Nance (25NC1, 25NC3, 25NC7,
25NC11, 25NC20), Polk (25PK1), Platte (25PT1), and Webster (25WT1)
Counties in east-central Nebraska. Objects include abraders, animal
bones, arrow points (metal and stone), beads (glass and shell), bells,
bracelets, bridle bits, buttons (glass, metal, and shell), cradle board
fragments, coins (American and Spanish), cups, ear bobs, fabric, felt,
files, fire steels, flints, glass, gun parts, hide, hoes, knives,
leather, matting, medals, metal, a mirror frame, paint, pebbles,
pigment, pipes, pottery sherds, projectile points, rings, scrapers,
seeds, shells, spoons, spurs, stones, thimbles, vegetal material,
whetstones, and wood. All of the objects are believed to have been
intentionally placed with or near individual Native American human
remains as part of a death rite or ceremony. The individual human
remains are not in the possession of the Nebraska State Historical
Society either because they were not collected during excavation or
because they were previously repatriated by the Nebraska State
Historical Society to the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma in 1990 and 1991.
The sites represent three cultural phases: Pawnee Phase (1750-
1876), Lower Loup Phase (1600-1750), and Itskari Phase (1000-1350).
Pawnee Phase sites were identified on the basis of historic written
records. Lower Loup Phase sites were identified on the basis of
material cultural continuities with Pawnee Phase sites. Itskari Phase
sites were identified on the basis of geographical coincidence with
Lower Loup and Pawnee Phase sites.
On February 1, 1994, the Nebraska State Historical Society agreed
to repatriate the above mentioned unassociated funerary objects to the
Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Representatives of any other Indian tribe
that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these objects
should contact Gail DeBuse Potter, Museum Curator, Nebraska State
Historical Society, P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln NE 68501, telephone: (402)
471-4759, fax: (402) 471-3314, within [45 days after publication of
this notice]. Repatriation of the objects to the Pawnee Tribe of
Oklahoma may begin after that date if no additional claimants come
forward.
Dated:
Dr. Francis P. McManamon
Departmental Consulting ArcheologistChief, Archeological Assistance
Division
[FR Doc. 94-13168 Filed 5-27-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-F
