NAGPRA Notice of Inadvertent Discovery at James Campbell NWR

Dear Sir or Madame,

I write with regards to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) process. On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, a single human bone (proximal end of a femur) was inadvertently discovered by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) employee while spraying herbicide on the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). The bone was resting on the soil surface. FWS covered the human remains with a tarp and secured the area. A FWS Law Enforcement Officer informed the Honolulu Police Department and the State of Hawaii Medical Examiner/Coroner's Office of the discovery. The Police Department declined investigating the find, but provided a case number (# 14080601) in the event it turned out to be a criminal matter. The FWS Law Enforcement Officer then contacted the State Historic Preservation Division. They provided a contractor who determined the bone to be older than 50 years.

The location of the human remains occurs in a dune feature near the shore approximately a mile and a half northwest of Kahuku, Island of Oahu, Honolulu County, Hawaii. Your Native Hawaiian organization (NHO) is registered with the Department of the Interior on its NHO Notification List. This letter is meant to initiate consultation with regard to this Inadvertent Discovery. Enclosed is a map of the vicinity of the discovery.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite your Native Hawaiian organization to participate in this process. An inadvertent discovery letter was sent to the Oahu Island Burial Council, Hui Mālama I Nā Kūpuna ′O Hawai′i Nei, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on March 18th, 2014.

This consultation is for the purpose of identifying additional potential claimants and gathering information to help us in making a determination of disposition and developing a plan of action pursuant to the NAGPRA regulations (43 CFR §10.5). Contact for the purpose of consultation is not recognition as a claimant. We are, however, interested in your views and any information you can provide that you think might be helpful in identifying potential claimants and determining disposition and a plan of action for this discovery.

I will be vacating my detail on the 23rd of May, therefore we would like to request that correspondence is directed to Lisa Oshiro Suganuma, Department of the Interior, Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (808-792-9555) and Nick Valentine, USFWS Archaeologist, at (503-625-4377) if you wish to engage in the above consultation. We look forward to working with you and appreciate any assistance that you can provide. I've attached a map of the remain's location.

Sincerely,

--

Keenan Adams

Deputy Refuge & Monument Area Supervisor (Acting until 5/23/14)

Hawaiian and Pacific Islands

National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Honolulu, Hawaii

808.792.9548