Notice of  Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items  in the Possession
          of the Nebraska State Historical Society

          AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior

          ACTION: Notice
          _________________________________________________________________

          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,
          by July 15, 1994.  Repatriation of the objects to the Pawnee
          Tribe of Oklahoma may begin after that date if no additional
          claimants come forward.





          Dated: May 24, 1994


          Dr. Francis P. McManamon
          Departmental Consulting Archeologist
          Chief, Archeological Assistance Division
          [FR Doc. 94-13168 Filed 5-27-94; 8:45 am]
          BILLING CODE 4310-70-F
          Federal Register/Vol.59,No.103/Tuesday,May 31,1994/Notices  28104

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