Wampum

Its not a molehill, if your Aunties are inside it

From Triballaw.

Sean Pickett represents the Sac and Fox Nation, which we last wrote about in June, when the Nation proudly endorsed Kalyn Free (Choctaw) for Congress, she lost her primary race to a privileged White man. The Sac & Fox Nation has sued the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for failure to consult the tribe before excavating a burial mound under the Clarksville Sky Lift. The Nation isn't making a title claim to the land, but a NAGPRA claim to graves buried in the mound. Sean filed for a temporary restraining order in Pike County to halt any activity that would disturb the remains.

"The tribe isn't opposed to anyone protecting the mound, but they're opposed to people doing something without consultation," he said. "Same reason you wouldn't want anyone disturbing your father's or your grandfather's grave."

This pits a tourist trap that has been closed for six years, and its new-as-of-two-years-ago-owner, who admits to a pecunary interest as well as boosterism, against an indigenous burial complex and its dislocated cultural group. This kind of conflict is a litmus test in Indian Country. It cost Howard Dean all Indian votes everywhere (except for a couple of "big name" careerists looking for sweet spots in the next BIA SES turnover). The surprising thing about this case is that thus far no Whites have tried to spin this as a latent casino access issue, as if Indians would put a casino (or a skylift and restaurant) atop a temple mound.

Posted by EBW at August 23, 2004 01:19 PM | TrackBack