Saginaw County

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Published to the Federal Register on September 15, 2020: Casassa, Mount Lion, and Frazer-Tyra

These ancestors were returned to the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan on August 25, 2022.

  • Casassa Site

    20SA1021

    Between August 14, 1991 and October 10, 1991, human remains were excavated from the Cassasa site as part of a pipeline project. On October 30, 1989, Braun Intertec Environmental, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota (Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership's environmental consultant) allowed the Great Lakes Research (GLR) of Williamston, Michigan (reorganized as Great Lakes Research Associates, Inc. (GLRA) as of January 1 1993) to proceed with cultural resource
    management surveys of a number of properties associated with the pipeline. The results of the surveys were used to satisfy Section 106 requirements and were submitted to both the Michigan State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for review.

    Preservation in place was not a viable management option for several sites, including the Cassasa site. Mitigative excavation of construction‐affected portions of these sites was agreed to by Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership, the Michigan SHPO, FERC, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. GLRA was subsequently contracted to provide the necessary mitigation services for these sites. Upon discover of the human remains, the Michigan State Police and Saginaw County coroner were contacted. After obtaining disinterment permits from the Saginaw County Department of Public Health, the remains were brought to Michigan State University for analysis by Anthropology Professor Dr. Norman Sauer.

    MNI = 8

    AFO = 0

    Documentation:

    • Archaeological site form
    • Skeletal Assessment from Ph III report
    • Phase III archaeological report (3 volumes)

    These ancestors were included in the Federal Register publication (link to published notice) for September 15, 2020.

  • Mount Lion

    20SA202

    In October/November 1966, human remains and funerary objects were discovered during field plowing. In 1963, Donald W. Foster obtained permission from landowner Wellington and Jessie Leach to collect. Mr. Foster enlisted the assistance of Dr. Charles E. Cleland, Curator of Anthropology at the Michigan State University Museum, in the removal of a mountain lion skull, which was found in a "normal position" facing east. On November 30, 1966, the human remains and funerary object were brought to Donald R. Hagge, M.D,. of Northville, Michigan, for analysis. In October 1968, Mr. Foster donated the remains and funerary object to the Michigan State University Museum.

    MNI = 4

    AFO = 1

    These individuals were added to the MSU inventory in 2004. Since then, an AFO has been identified. The 2019/2020 inventory update includes this.

    Documentation: Skeletal inventory sheet, accession record, Foster & Hagge (1968) article, original images, catalog cards.

    These ancestors were included in the Federal Register publication (link to published notice) for September 15, 2020.

  • Frazer - Tyra

    In the 1980s, human remains and funerary objects were discovered by the landowner (possibly Mr. Frazer) during road construction. The landowner alerted Michigan State Police (either Bridgeport or Saginaw Post), who then contacted State Archaeologist John Halsey. Mr. Halsey confirmed that the remains were ancient. Although the Police claimed that they collected all of the human remains from the site, Mr. Halsey had state consultant James Payne excavate the site with a group of volunteers. Mr. Payne and Mr. Halsey both agreed that the excavated remains and items should be donated to Michigan State University (MSU) rather than to Central Michigan University, because MSU had a physical anthropologist and housed collections from surrounding areas of the site. In 1988, Mr. Payne (acting as a representative of the state of Michigan) donated the remains and cultural items to either Dr. William Lovis or Dr. Charles Cleland.

    MNI = 2

    AFO = 34

    These individuals were originally listed on MSU's NAGPRA inventory, but then removed as they were not associated with the MSU Museum but with the Forensic Anthropology Lab. In 2019, it was decided to condense our efforts and only have one department providing NAGPRA listings. The new listing also includes 34 identified associated funerary offerings.

    Documentation: archaeolgical site form, catalog cards, skeletal inventory sheet.

    These ancestors were included in the Federal Register publication (link to published notice) for September 15, 2020.

  • 20SA118

    A single pottery sherd was removed from a burial in Saginaw County. According to the note accompanying the sherd, it was found with the remains of three ancestors. MSU does not have any of the ancestors, making this item an unassociated funerary object.

Transfer of Legal Control

Legal control for these ancestors was transferred to the following Tribes on October 20, 2020:

  • Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan
  • Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan
  • Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan
  • Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan
  • Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan
  • Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan
  • Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, Michigan
  • Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan
  • Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan
  • Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana
  • Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
  • Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan

Tribes Consulted with and Invited to Consult:

  • Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians of the Bad River Reservation, Wisconsin
  • Bay Mills Indian Community, Michigan
  • Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana (previously listed as the Chippewa-Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Montana)
  • Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma
  • Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin
  • Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Michigan
  • Hannahville Indian Community, Michigan
  • Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Michigan
  • Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
  • Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation of Wisconsin
  • Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Michigan
  • Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Michigan
  • Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana
  • Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan
  • Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan
  • Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota (Six component reservations: Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake); Fond du Lac Band; Grand Portage Band; Leech Lake Band; Mille Lacs Band; White Earth Band)
  • Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Michigan (previously listed as the Huron Potawatomi, Inc.)
  • Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Michigan and Indiana
  • Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (previously listed as the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, Kansas)
  • Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
  • Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Minnesota
  • Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska
  • Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma
  • Sac & Fox Tribe of Mississippi in Iowa
  • Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
  • Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan
  • Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Wisconsin
  • St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
  • Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota
  • Wyandotte Nation

Sites & Collections