(From Tribal
Observer article by TO staff writer Patricia
Ecker)
Mid-Michigan Native American communities are
concerned over the recent unearthing of ancestral
remains by a Michigan State University archaeologist
on March 24 in Bay City.
The remains are thought to be at least 3,000
years old, according to the MSU archaeologist.
The remains were exposed during an excavation
project to replace a 72-year-old viaduct located
on Marquette Avenue in Bay City, Michigan. The
viaduct is also near a federally protected Indian
cemetery known as the Fletcher Site Cemetery,
located on the west bank of the Saginaw River.
“We don't want to disturb any of the integrity
of the burials,” said Bonnie Ekdahl, director
of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s
Ziibiwing Cultural Society. “If that is
impossible, we want to be involved with what
is happening with the burials in order to offer
them the proper respect, ceremonies and to ask
for [the ancestors’] forgiveness because
it is improper.”
Tribal leaders are as concerned about the unearthing
as the cultural leaders.
“The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is
very interested in what is happening over there,”
said Tribal Council member Ronald J. Jackson.
The Ziibiwing Cultural Society staff’s
goal is to ensure that the spirituality of the
tribal ancestors and their descendants aren’t
violated during the viaduct project according
to Ekdahl. The society represents the Tribe
on Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act issues.
“We’re strongly opposed to anyone
desecrating our burial grounds,” said ZCS
Historic Preservation Coordinator Kayle Crampton.
“I know we’re latecomers to this project
and we’re still gathering information.
The main stake-holders in this project failed
to contact the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
or any other Tribe. We were left out of the
picture, and we find this an unfortunate situation
that ancestral burials have been disturbed.”
Because of the NAGPRA of 1990, all publicly
funded institutions are directed to compile
lists of Native American religious and funerary
items as well as ancestral remains that are
in their possession. The measure also states
that institutions must notify respective Tribes
of origin who might have the right to reclaim
the items.
The Fletcher Site Cemetery was excavated by
MSU archaeological officials between 1967 and
1970. About 108 tribal ancestors, their funerary
objects and other cultural items were unearthed
and take to MSU. The site received its name
because it was owned at that time by Fletcher
Oil Company located just off Marquette Avenue.
At the original excavation of the cemetery,
hundreds of people plundered the Native American
funerary and sacred items as well as the ancestral
human remains.
The Ziibiwing Cultural Society staff's first
effort at repatriation of ancestors exhumed
at the Fletcher Site Cemetery was in October
1996. A collection of about 145 tribal ancestors
were retrieved from MSU, placed in cedar boxes
and reburied in the Saginaw Chippewa Indian
Tribe's new cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
The tribal community members constructed 110
cedar boxes for this repatriation effort. It
also took the cooperation of Christian and traditional
spiritual leaders as well as collaboration between
the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s Tribal
Operations departments and community members.
The Ziibiwing Cultural Society has been involved
in several repatriation efforts since the Fletcher
site homecoming. However, they were not contacted
about the recent Marquette Avenue find.
“The people involved in planning this
project did not include the Tribes,” said
Crampton. “We weren’t notified. Being
the closest federally recognized Tribe, the
major shareholders in this project did not contact
this Tribe at all. Not all impacts related to
this project were taken into account.
“This is not just a Saginaw Chippewa tribal
matter. The location of the March 24 unearthing
was a central gathering point for Michigan Tribes.”
The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s Tribal
Council is committed to involving itself with
this project, said tribal spokesperson Frank
J. Cloutier.