Burial remains were found during a road project on I-405 near Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, Calif.-In early October, the Orange County Transit Authority halted a road-widening project on the I-405 Freeway when construction workers discovered human remains, including bones.
Analyzation by the Orange County Coroner's office determined the site to possibly be a Native American burial site.
Construction workers who were excavating as part of the I-405 Improvement Project spotted the remains, including bones, on Sept. 25 at an undisclosed location. According to Eric Carpenter of the Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA), agency officials are prohibited by law from providing a location or description of a grave or sacred places.
After the OCTA consultedwith the Orange County Coroner's office, the case was passed to the California Native American Heritage Commission, which will try to find out which tribe the remains might be linked to.
"OCTA and its partners recognize the cultural sensitivity of the issue and will work with all parties involved to ensure appropriate and respectful procedures are followed," said Eric Carpenter of the Orange County Transit Authority to reporters from the Los Angeles Times. "It's unclear at this point what effect, if any, it will have on the construction schedule or cost."
When Native American remains and burial sites are found, state and federal laws ensure that the items and spaces are handled with respect and affiliation to the appropriate Native tribes.
Walter Ahhaitty, operations manager at the nonprofit Southern California Indian Center, told the Los Angeles Times that a ritualistic ceremony typically takes place when the remains of a Native American are discovered. Since there are no federally recognized tribes in Orange County or Los Angeles County, representatives of other tribes may be called to take part in such a practice.
"With my own tribal people, we don't mess with those type of things. But in mainstream society, we have to make sure we move forward with projects in place," said Ahhaitty, a member of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma. "It's heartbreaking to know that this person or persons are being disturbed. But society moves forward." He reminded readers that the important thing is to remember that the person was once a living human being.
"They are somebody that was here once upon a time."
