Tuesday, April 11, 2000

Indian remains repatriation to be discussed

With more skeletal remains of American Indians being unearthed in South Texas lately, scholars say the time has come to beef up federal laws with state legislation to protect the handling and repatriation of the contents of sacred burial sites.
   "All laws in the U.S. dealing with graves begin and end with next-of-kin permission," said Pemina Yellow Bird, a noted reburial activist from North Dakota. "You cannot do anything with human remains of an individual without this permission. But when it comes to Native Americans, this traditionally is ignored."
   Yellow Bird, a member of the Otoe-Missouria people, will discuss repatriation and burial rights from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History.
   The event is an attempt to begin a dialogue long overdue, says museum archaeologist Robert P. Drolet.
   Repatriating remains
   "It's a sensitive topic, but one that needs serious addressing," said Drolet, noting that American Indian remains have been unearthed during road excavations in Refugio in recent months, washed ashore on Padre Island or exposed by the elements on Pita Island.
   "We need to create a good atmosphere where various opinions can be expressed and a reasonable process developed for dealing with human remains, sacred artifacts and deteriorating archaeological sites," Drolet said.
   "All of these need our protection. Unfortunately, one of the voices traditionally not listened to, ignored or somehow left out is that of Native American people and they are the ones we need to include in this dialogue."
   Significant progress was made in 1990, says Yellow Bird, when Congress passed the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act requiring federal institutions to repatriate skeletal remains and funerary objects back to American Indian people and their respective tribes.
   "In essence, the act protected the interests of the deceased, not the interests of science," said Yellow Bird, noting that the act attempted to reverse past policies of institutional racism.
   Although the act marked a tremendous victory for the American Indian community, there is evidence today that loopholes in the federal law remain.
   Annette Arkeketa-Rendon, president of the university's Native American Student Association, hopes Yellow Bird's discussion serves as a bridge of understanding that begins with cultural sensitivity and leads to the establishment of fair and reasonable policies that respect her people.
   'Act of inhumanity'
   "Native American people see the desecration of their burial sites as grave robbing," Arkeketa-Rendon said.
   Just as demeaning, Yellow Bird said, are museums' displays of remains.
   "The contents are presented to Americans as curiosities, the way dinosaurs are in museums," Yellow Bird said. "They are not regarded as sacred, beloved, earthly remains of human beings. Therefore, we have yet not been granted the status of humans here in our own homeland. And that I find very sad."
  
  
 

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