2023-21241. Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and any Indian Tribe. The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from an unknown county or counties in Nevada.

DATES:

Disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice may occur on or after October 30, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Dr. Daniel Benyshek, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154, 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 Nevada, Las Vegas. 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 Nevada, Las Vegas.

Description

Human remains representing, at minimum, 10 individuals were removed from an unknown county or counties in Nevada (accession #s AHUR 32 (“Rocking Horse Ranch Site”), AHUR 137x (“Rockwell Site”), AHUR 138x (“Rockwell Site”), AHUR 139x (“Rockwell Site”), AHUR 140x (“Rockwell Site”), AHUR 144ax (“Rockwell Site”), AHUR 144bx (“Rockwell Site”), AHUR 144cx (“Rockwell Site”), AHUR 144dx (“Rockwell Site”), and FHUR 43 (“Unknown Site”)). While some of these ancestral remains are attributed to named sites, we are unable to identify these sites and, consequently, we are unable to identify the county or counties from which the human remains were removed. The six associated funerary objects are vegetable fibers, chert flakes, and pottery sherds.

Aboriginal Land

The human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice were removed from a known geographic location ( i.e., the State of Nevada). This location is the aboriginal land of one or more Indian Tribes. The following information was used to identify the aboriginal land: a final judgment of the Indian Claims Commission.

Determinations

Pursuant to NAGPRA and its implementing regulations, and after consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has determined that:

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of 10 individuals of Native American ancestry.
• The six objects described in this notice are reasonably believed to have been placed with or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony.
• 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 and associated funerary objects described in this notice were removed from the aboriginal land of the Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona and California; Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and Utah; Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater Reservation, Nevada; Eastern Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada; Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians of the Fort Independence Reservation, California; Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribes of the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, Nevada and Oregon; Fort Mojave Indian Tribe of Arizona, California & Nevada; Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation, Arizona; Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, Arizona; Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada; Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony, Nevada; Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation, Nevada; Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (Cedar Band of Paiutes, Kanosh Band of Paiutes, Koosharem Band of Paiutes, Indian Peaks Band of Paiutes, and Shivwits Band of Paiutes); Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony, Nevada; Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of the Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nevada; Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Nevada; Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada; Summit Lake Paiute Tribe of Nevada; Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada (Four constituent bands: Battle Mountain Band; Elko Band; South Fork Band; and Wells Band); Walker River Paiute Tribe of the Walker River Reservation, Nevada; Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California (Carson Colony, Dresslerville Colony, Woodfords Community, Stewart Community, & Washoe Ranches); Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada; Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony & Campbell Ranch, Nevada; and the Yomba Shoshone Tribe of the Yomba Reservation, Nevada.

Requests for Disposition

Written requests for disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects 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 and associated funerary objects described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after October 30, 2023. If competing requests for disposition are received, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to disposition. Requests for joint disposition of the human remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing requests. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes 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: September 20, 2023.

Melanie O'Brien,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.