[Federal Register: February 22, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 35)]
[Notices]
[Page 9148-9149]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22fe06-118]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Shoshone National Forest, Cody, WY, and Buffalo Bill
Historical Center, Cody, WY
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the
completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary
object in the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Shoshone National Forest, Cody, WY, and in the physical
custody of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY. The human
remains and associated funerary object were removed from the Mummy Cave
site, Park County, WY.
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 Native
American human remains and associated funerary object. The National
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Buffalo Bill
Historical Center professional staff in consultation with
representatives of the Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation,
Wyoming and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of
Idaho.
Between 1963 and 1966, human remains representing a minimum of one
individual were removed from the Mummy Cave site, west of Cody, Park
County, WY, by Harold McCracken. The human remains were removed from
lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and have been curated at the
Buffalo Bill Historical Center since their removal. No known individual
was identified. The one associated funerary object is a mountain sheep
hide that was used to wrap the individual.
The individual was mummified and wrapped in a mountain sheep hide,
which provided a radiocarbon date of 110 1251 B.P. A study
and report on the human remains was undertaken by Susan Hughes of the
University of Washington and a team of physicians from the
Paleopathology Association, Toledo, OH. No destructive testing was
undertaken.
Mummy Cave contains several levels of human occupation. The human
remains, representing an older Native American male, were recovered
from an intentional stone-covered burial in level 3 of the cave.
Archeological evidence from several levels of the site provides dates
that are consistent with occupation of this area by the Plains and
Great Basin people. Level 3 has been identified as Great Basin or
Sheepeater, and level 1 as Shoshonean. There are historical ties
between Sheepeater people and the Shoshonean people. The present-day
Shoshonean tribes that consider themselves descendants of the
Sheepeater are the Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation,
Wyoming and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of
Idaho.
Officials of the Shoshone National Forest have determined that,
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above
represent the physical remains of one individual of Native American
ancestry. Officials of Shoshone National Forest also have determined
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(A), the one object 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. Lastly, officials of the Shoshone National Forest 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
Native American human remains and the associated funerary object and
the Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming and Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho.
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to
be culturally affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary
object should contact Emma Hansen, Curator, Plains Indian Museum,
Buffalo Bill Historical Center, 720 Sheridan Avenue, Cody, WY 82414,
telephone (307) 587-4771 extension 4052, before March 24, 2006.
Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary object to the
Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming and Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho may proceed after
that date if no additional claimants come forward.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Shoshone
National Forest is responsible for notifying the Arapaho Tribe of the
Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; Crow Tribe of Montana; Shoshone Tribe
of the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; and
[[Page 9149]]
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho that this
notice has been published.
Dated: January 31, 2006.
C. Timothy McKeown,
Acting Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-2445 Filed 2-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S