05-15322. Notice of Intent to Repatriate a Cultural Item: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM, and Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3005, of the intent to repatriate a cultural item in the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest, Silver City, NM, and in the possession of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, that meets the definition of “unassociated funerary object” under 25 U.S.C. 3001. The cultural item was removed from the Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM.

This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d)(3). The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the cultural item. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

The cultural item is a turquoise pendant consisting of 19 small pieces of perforated turquoise.

A detailed assessment of the cultural item was made by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest and Field Museum of Natural History professional staff in consultation with the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

In 1939, one turquoise pendant was removed from the SU site in the Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM, during legally authorized excavations and collected by Dr. Paul S. Martin of the Field Museum, Chicago, IL.

Material culture, architecture and site organization indicate that the SU site is an Upland Mogollon pithouse village occupied between A.D. 450 and 500. The territory of the Upland Mogollon stretched from south-central Arizona to south-central New Mexico. The Upland Mogollon territories are claimed, currently inhabited, or used by the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. Villages had pithouses or pueblo-style houses. Most archeological evidence linking Upland Mogollon to present-day tribes relies on ceramics that suggest the early establishment of brownware producing groups. Present-day descendants of the Upland Mogollon are the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico. Oral traditions presented by representatives of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico support cultural affiliation.

Additional unassociated funerary objects removed from Gila National Forest, Catron County, NM, were published in a Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items in the Federal Register of June 1, 2005, FR Doc 05-10805, page 31510.

Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(B), the one cultural item described above is 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of a Native American individual. Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest also have determined that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), there is a relationship of shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the unassociated funerary object and the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with this unassociated funerary object should contact Dr. Frank E. Wozniak, NAGPRA Coordinator, Southwestern Region, USDA Forest Service, 333 Broadway Blvd., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102, telephone [phone], before September 2, 2005. Repatriation of this unassociated funerary object to the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest is responsible for notifying the Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico; and Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico that this notice has been published.

Dated: July 13, 2005

Sherry Hutt,

Manager, National NAGPRA Program.