SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA. The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the S'edav Va'aki Museum, City of Phoenix, and additional information on the determinations in this notice, including the results of consultation, can be found in its inventory or related records. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.

Abstract of Information Available

Human remains representing, at least, four individuals and seven associated funerary objects have been identified in the collections of S'edav Va'aki Museum (SVM). The human remains and associated funerary objects were removed from multiple archaeological sites in Maricopa County, AZ during three archaeological excavations. These archaeological sites are associated with the Hohokam archaeological culture (A.D. 450 to 1450).

In May 1976, at least two individuals and six associated funerary objects were removed from site AZ T:12:1(ASM), during a salvage archaeological project conducted by employees of the City of Phoenix. The cultural items were identified in collections at SVM in 1998. The six associated funerary objects include two lots ceramic sherds, two lots lithics, one faunal bone, and one shell bracelet fragment. The human remains were identified in 2023 during a review of the faunal collection.

In 2004, at least one individual was removed from AZ T:12:215(ASM) also known as AZ T:12:1(ASM) during archaeological data recovery which took place prior to a construction project. No associated funerary objects are present. No human remains were identified during the archaeological project. The human remains were transferred with the collection to SVM in 2005, but they were not identified until 2022 when they were located during a review of the faunal collection.

In 2004, at least one individual and one associated funerary object were removed from site AZ T:12:50(ASM) during archaeological data recovery prior to the sale of land. No human remains were identified during the archaeological project. The human remains and associated funerary object were transferred to SVM with the collection in 2015, but they were not identified until 2022 when they were located during a review of the faunal collection. The one associated funerary object is a lot of faunal bone.

Cultural Affiliation

Based on the information available and the results of consultation, cultural affiliation is clearly identified by the information available about the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice.

Determinations

The SVM has determined that: ( printed page 14872)

• The human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of four individuals of Native American ancestry.
• The seven objects described in this notice are reasonably believed to have been placed intentionally with or near individual human remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or ceremony.
• There is a connection between the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice and the Ak-Chin Indian Community; Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona; Hopi Tribe of Arizona; Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona; Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona; and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico.

Requests for Repatriation

Written requests for repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects in this notice must be sent to the authorized representative identified in this notice under ADDRESSES . Requests for repatriation may be submitted by:

1. Any one or more of the Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice.

2. Any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice who shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal descendant or an Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with cultural affiliation.

Repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects described in this notice to a requestor may occur on or after April 27, 2026. If competing requests for repatriation are received, the SVM must determine the most appropriate requestor prior to repatriation. Requests for joint repatriation of the human remains and associated funerary objects are considered a single request and not competing requests. The SVM is responsible for sending a copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations identified in this notice and any other consulting parties.

Authority: Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing regulations, 43 CFR 10.10.