Thought someone on the list might be interested in this so am forwarding it from another list even though it was in the Seattle Washington Times. Mickey in Iowa -----Original Message----- From: Norma Lewis <norie@localaccess.com> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, August 12, 1999 11:45 PM Subject: Cemeteries - Desecration of graves >Here is our latest NW cemetery scandal! >Norma > > City's transfer of remains at tribal site blasted >| http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/rema_19990811.html >| >| by Florangela Davila <fdav-new@seatimes.com> >| Seattle Times staff reporter >| >| When the city of Blaine embarked on a plan last spring to replace >|its outdated and overloaded sewage-treatment plant, the Lummi Indian >|Nation was especially reluctant to give its approval. >| >| The construction would entail excavation on the tribe's 4,000- >|year-old ancestral burial grounds at the base of Semiahmoo Spit. >|As a national archaeological site, federal and state laws protect >|any artifacts unearthed there. >| >| It was with those laws in mind, explained tribal attorney Theresa >|Pouley, that the Lummi Tribe agreed the construction project could >|proceed. >| >| What no one can understand - not tribal, state, federal or city >|officials - is how 28 sets of Indian remains could have been >|excavated two weeks ago by a city-hired archaeologist and then, >|without any notice, transported in a pickup to a Denver >|archaeological office. >| >| "There was a process and procedures in place, and no one knew," >|said Pouley, one of two tribal representatives who flew to Denver >|last week to collect the remains. >| >| "It's shocking that this could take place. It devastated the >|tribe." >| >| Pouley said she's been instructed by the tribe to seek prosecution. >|The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle and the state Attorney General's >|Office are looking into the incident, which could involve violations >|of the federal Archaeological Resource Protection Act as well as state >|laws governing Indian graves. The latter is a class C felony, >|punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. >| >| Work on the $7.75 million construction project - partly funded >|with $3 million in federal funds - has been stopped for at least this >|week as officials from various agencies determine what should be done. >| >| City officials are at a loss. >| >| "We still don't have a clear understanding as to why that >|happened, why our consultant made that decision to do that," said >|Anthony Mortillaro, Blaine's city manager. >| >| The city retained Golder Associates last spring on an $80,000 >|contract. Before the excavation work began, the city signed an >|agreement with state and federal officials that stipulated what >|should occur if human remains were found. Work was to be suspended >|and relocated, and officials with the state Office of Archaeology >|and Historic Preservation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, >|Rural Development, as well as the Lummi Tribe, were to be notified >|immediately. >| >| "I don't believe there was any misunderstanding as to what was >|to happen," said Jack Gleason, rural-business and rural-utilities >|director for the Agriculture Department. >| >| But when the remains were unearthed July 26, apparently only one >|unanswered phone call to the Lummi Tribe was made, city officials >|said. >| >| City, state and federal officials also said they were never >|informed of the discovery. The tribe's cultural director learned of >|the discovery from someone else in the community. That prompted an >|on-site visit the next morning; the remains had been moved to Denver. >| >| "His rationale for that was that he felt personally responsible >|for the remains, and he didn't feel it was right to leave them in a >|storage locker," said Grant Stewart, the city's public-works director. >| >| "In the heat of the moment, this guy blew it." >| >| Archaeologist Gordon Tucker has since been suspended, said Steve >|Thompson, principal with Golder Associates in Denver. The city is >|still working with the firm. >| >| The archaeologist had planned to inspect the remains further in >|Denver. Pouley said the remains were still in the pickup truck when >|she got there. The tribe also has received three other sets of >|remains retrieved more recently at the site. >| >| Tribal attorney Pouley notified the state and federal agencies >|of the remains, and they issued an immediate 10-day work stoppage >|Thursday, saying the contractual agreement had been violated. >| >| "The MOA (memorandum of agreement) explicitly called for treating >|the human remains with respect. Transferring a sovereign nation's >|ancestors to Denver without their consent or knowledge does not fall >|under that definition," the state's historic-preservation officer >|wrote the Agriculture Department. >| >| The city, Golder and other officials held a meeting in Blaine >|earlier this week and apologized to members of the Lummi Tribe. >| >|Posted at 06:00 a.m. PDT; Wednesday, August 11, 1999 >| >| E-mail Comments to Editor : Opinion@seatimes.com >| >| Seattle Times: Table of Content >| http://www.seattletimes.com/news/ >| >| The Seattle Times: Search Archive >| http://www.seattletimes.com/extra/search.html >| >| The Seattle Times: Browse by date >| http://www.seattletimes.com/todaysnews/browse.html >| >| Seattle Times: Special Reports >| http://www.seattletimes.com/news/special/ >| >| Permission requests and information >| http://www/seatimes.com/general/info.html >| >| Copyright (c) 1999 The Seattle Times Company >| http://www.seattletimes.com/news/general/copyright.html >| > > >==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== >#4 Chain letters, gossip, non-genealogical notes, commercial ads, pleas for help, etc. are >PROHIBITED on this List. -sysop > >============================== >Share your family tree with loved ones through a FREE private website at >MyFamily.com! >Get started today at http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWText1