Jack, Once again I agree with you. We have the same problem here and it is not the fault of our Native American citizens. It is the government who "devised" the public resources codes to appease the Native Americans in their contesting of the destruction of their sites. California law says you shall not desecrate or obliterate a cemetery. Public Resources Code says Native Americans will be notified if their "burial grounds" are discovered and they can 1) cap it over with gunnite or 2) relocate the remains (cremated or otherwise) out of harms way. California law defines a cemetery as any place where the remains of six or more human beings are buried. They don't discriminate as to full skeletal remains or cremated remains. Therefore, the Native American "burial grounds", Cry or Crematory sites, or cemeteries, should also be protected from desecration or obliteration. We keep trying to tell the Native American descendants they have invoke that it is a CEMETERY. There is just no legal discrimination provided in the language of the law. (However, they are coming out with new "definitions" for terms every year and I'll bet by the time the cemetery industry is done with it, even our cemeteries won't be cemeteries by their definitions!) Our county Cultural Resources Preservation Commission just finished tours (given by my organization) of all the "Uncared For" (that's the county's term) historic cemeteries. They used "Native Americans" and "non-Native Americans" to cite the "type" of cemeteries they surveyed. And, yes, just like Jack, all of a sudden I felt like a second class citizen. And it's funny to feel that way, when I have never in my life viewed anyone as anything other than 1) a person and 2) a human being. In fact, on the last census I listed my race as "Human Race". (Next time it will be "Finished Last"! hee-hee) We have to quit letting the government categorize these places like this. Cemeteries, no matter whose they are, are all deserving of the same level of respect and protection. This should be a priority for us all. United we stand, folks. Divided we'll fall. Never truer. Sue Silver California ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jb502000@aol.com> To: <INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 11:03 AM Subject: Re: [INPCRP] Indianapolis Star, Feb. 25, 2001, Section A, page 1. > In a message dated 2/26/02 11:18:03 AM US Eastern Standard Time, > ssilver1951@jps.net writes: > > > > From: "Samuel M. Cline" <scline@hoosierweb.org> > > To: <INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 8:02 AM > > Subject: [INPCRP] Indianapolis Star, Feb. 25, 2001, Section A, page 1. > > > > > > > http://www.indystar.com/article.php?mounds25.html > > > > Sam, The one thing in the article that really upsets me is that Native > Americans say their Burial Grounds are MORE than just cemeteries, they are > SACRED GROUND, I have never walked into any CEMETERY that I didn't feel like > I was on SACRED GROUND. WHO decides the difference in Burial Sites. The > length of time makes no difference what so ever. My Ancestors Burial Site is > just as SACRED to me and my family, as the Native American Sites are to them. > And rightly should be. Since they have Ancient Tools and other Items, I > suppose The DHPA makes the Distinction. Archaeologists are not concerned in > our Burial Sites (Cemeteries) because there are no Artifacts to Collect. > Don't get me wrong put the Landfill in a Large cemetery in the County. I'll > bet that wouldn't happen, so why should this. I don't care who likes my > opinion, I don't like being treated Second class. And the Native Americans > are not the ones to blame.! > > Jack E. Briles Sr. > Po. Box 444 > New Albany, Floyd Co. In. > 47151-0444 > (812)282-6585 > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > This list is for discussion of topics related to the Indiana Pioneer > Cemeteries Restoration Project only. > >