Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural Items in the Possession of the California State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Sacramento, CA

AGENCY:

National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice.

Notice is hereby given under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 43 CFR 10.10 (a)(3), of the intent to repatriate cultural items in the possession of the California State Office, Bureau of Land Management, Sacramento, CA which meet the definition of “unassociated funerary objects” under Section 2 of the Act.

The 90 cultural items consist of olivella shell beads and pottery sherds.

In 1989, these cultural items were removed from a cremation at site CA-IMP-6315, ancient Lake Cahuilla, western Imperial County, CA during legally authorized investigations conducted by the University of California, Riverside. The human remains interred with these cultural items were not collected.

The one cultural item is a projectile point.

In 1989, this cultural item was removed from a cremation at site CA-IMP-6315, ancient Lake Cahuilla, western Imperial County, CA during legally authorized investigations conducted by the University of California, Riverside. The human remains interred with these cultural items were not collected.

Based on the common occurrence of brown and buff ware pottery derived from the lower Colorado river area, small projectile points, and late period shell beads imported from the Southern California coastal area, all of these cultural items can be dated to the late precontact period in the Southern California, Colorado Desert sequence, c. 1500 A.D. to the 19th century. Based on archeological and material culture evidence, there is a clear continuum from the late period precontact archeological cultures to the native peoples present in the area at the time of European contact. Consultation evidence presented by the Kumeyaay Cultural Repatriation Committee (authorized representatives of the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Reservation, the Capitan Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation, the Viejas (Baron Long) Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Viejas Reservation, the Cuyapaipe Community of Degueno Mission Indians of the Cuyapaipe Reservation, the Inaja Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Inaja and Cosmit Reservation, the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Reservation, the Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita Reservation, the Jamul Indian Village, the Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation, the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Santa Ysabel Reservation, and the Sycuan Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California) also supports the recognition of this area of Imperial County as Kumeyaay ancestral homeland.

Based on the above mentioned information, officials of the Bureau of Land Management have determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (d)(2)(ii), these cultural items 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 and are believed, by a preponderance of the evidence, to have been removed from a specific burial site of an Native American individual. Officials of the Bureau of Land Management have also determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR 10.2 (e), there is a relationship of shared group identity which can be reasonably traced between these items and the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Reservation, the Capitan Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation, the Viejas (Baron Long) Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Viejas Reservation, the Cuyapaipe Community of Degueno Mission Indians of the Cuyapaipe Reservation, the Inaja Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Inaja and Cosmit Reservation, the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Reservation, the Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita Reservation, the Jamul Indian Village, the Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation, the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Santa Ysabel Reservation, and the Sycuan Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California.

This notice has been sent to officials of the Kumeyaay Cultural Repatriation Committee and the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Reservation, the Capitan Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation, the Viejas (Baron Long) Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Viejas Reservation, the Cuyapaipe Community of Degueno Mission Indians of the Cuyapaipe Reservation, the Inaja Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Inaja and Cosmit Reservation, the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Reservation, the Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita Reservation, the Jamul Indian Village, the Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation, the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Santa Ysabel Reservation, and the Sycuan Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California. Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to be culturally affiliated with these objects should contact Russell Kaldenberg, Archeologist, Division of Natural Resources, California State Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825; telephone: (916) 978-4635 before June 7, 2000. Repatriation of these objects to the Campo Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Campo Reservation, the Capitan Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Barona Reservation, the Viejas (Baron Long) Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians of the Viejas Reservation, the Cuyapaipe Community of Degueno Mission Indians of the Cuyapaipe Reservation, the Inaja Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Inaja and Cosmit Reservation, the La Posta Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the La Posta Reservation, the Manzanita Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Manzanita Reservation, the Jamul Indian Village, the Mesa Grande Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Mesa Grande Reservation, the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California, the Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of the Santa Ysabel Reservation, and the Sycuan Band of Diegueno Mission Indians of California may begin after that date if no additional claimants come forward.