Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Honolulu, HI

Topics:  Interstate Highway System

Melanie O'Brien
Department of the Interior
3 March 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12574-12575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04326]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NAGPRA-NPS0029809; PPWOCRADN0-PCU00RP14.R50000]


Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: State of Hawaii 
Department of Transportation, Honolulu, HI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, in 
consultation with the appropriate Native Hawaiian organizations, has 
determined that the cultural items listed in this notice meet the 
definition of unassociated funerary objects and sacred objects. Lineal 
descendants or representatives of any Native Hawaiian organization not 
identified in this notice that wish to claim these cultural items 
should submit a written request to the State of Hawaii Department of 
Transportation. If no additional claimants come forward, transfer of 
control of the cultural items to the lineal descendants or Native 
Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed.

DATES: Lineal descendants or representatives of any Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to submit a claim 
for these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to the State of Hawaii Department 
of Transportation at the address in this notice by April 2, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Jade T. Butay, Director, State of Hawaii Department of 
Transportation, 869 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, telephone 
(808) 587-2150, email Jade.Butay@hawaii.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 cultural items under the 
control of the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Honolulu, 
HI, that meet the definition of unassociated funerary objects and 
sacred objects under 25 U.S.C. 3001.
    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 cultural items. The National Park Service is not responsible 
for the determinations in this notice.

History and Description of the Cultural Items

    From 1989 to 1992, 13 cultural items were removed from Hawai`i 
State Inventory of Historic Places (SIHP) site #s 50-80-09-2134, 50-80-
09-2136, 50-80-09-2137, and 50-80-09-2010 in Aiea, HI. The items were 
discovered and collected in Halawa Valley during archeological work for 
the construction of the Interstate Route H-3 Freeway, and have since 
been housed at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum on behalf of the State 
of Hawaii Department of Transportation. The 11 unassociated funerary 
objects are three unidentified bones, one dog bone, one bag of soil, 
one bag of basalt lithic, one bag of wood charcoal, one milled wood, 
one lithic, one shell, and one bowl/cup. The two sacred objects are one 
zoomorphic bowl and one basalt cup. The unassociated funerary objects 
were catalogued under Project #379 and placed in bags numbering: 370, 
367, 420, 421, 422, 2470, 0024C, and in catalog numbering B1-85-107 and 
B1-85-260. During a review of the artifact database, these items were 
discovered by Office of Hawaiian Affairs staff. The evidence of 
cultural affiliation was recorded in the artifacts database as 
``Possible Association with Individual #1,'' and listed as ``burial 
fill'' intended for reburial.
    In consultation with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and lineal 
descendant Ella Paguyo, and ahupua`a-affiliated descendant Clara 
Matthews, it is believed that these artifacts are unassociated funerary 
objects and were to be part of the repatriation that took place on 
September 13, 1992, for the individuals identified and disinterred 
during archeological investigations preceding construction of the 
Interstate H-3 in Halawa Valley. It is further believed that the sacred 
objects are for ceremonial purposes. In the October 17, 1992, Halawa 
Valley Reinterment Report, Ella Paguyo, Clara and Boots Matthews, and 
Vivian Hong were listed as lineal and ahupua'a-affiliated descendants.

Determinations Made by the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation

    Officials of the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation have 
determined that:
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(B), the 11 cultural items 
described above 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 a Native 
Hawaiian individual.
     Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(3)(C), the two cultural items 
described above are specific ceremonial objects needed by traditional 
Native American religious leaders for the practice of traditional 
Native American religions by their present-day adherents.
     Pursuant to 43 CFR 10.14(b), Ella Paguyo, Clara and Boots 
Matthews, and Vivian Hong are lineal and Ahupua'a-affiliated 
descendants of the individual

[[Page 12575]]

with whom the 13 cultural items described above were placed.

Additional Requestors and Disposition

    Lineal descendants or representatives of any Native Hawaiian 
organization not identified in this notice that wish to submit a claim 
for these cultural items should submit a written request with 
information in support of the claim to Jade T. Butay, Director, State 
of Hawaii Department of Transportation, 869 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, 
HI 96813, telephone (808) 587-2150, email Jade.Butay@hawaii.gov, by 
April 2, 2020. After that date, if no additional claimants have come 
forward, transfer of control of the unassociated funerary objects and 
sacred objects to the lineal descendants listed in this notice may 
proceed.
    The State of Hawaii Department of Transportation is responsible for 
notifying the Native Hawaiian organizations and lineal descendants that 
this notice has been published.

    Dated: February 7, 2020.
Melanie O'Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2020-04326 Filed 3-2-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P