Desecrating Sacred Sites

 

Written by: Allisia Joyce


Photo of the Serpent Mound in Ohio 


For decades, countless Native American nations have existed. These Native nations were acquired by the United States Government for land and resources. Today, federal actions have taken a place in order to redress these actions and provide Native Americans with their previously owned land and sacred sites. Now that these unjusts have been nullified, the Natice American’s sacred sites are now being desecrated. For years, Native American sacred sites are now being desecrated for religious, economical, and educational reasons.

Some Native American sites have been destroyed in the name of science. An example of this is Native American burial ground at Strawtown Koteewi Park in Noblesville, Indiana. Here, an archaeologist team had discovered human bones during an extravasation. After a discovery like this, the law is to notify the Native American tribes but “Instead, they studied, cataloged and boxed up the bone fragments. And for the next 10 years, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne's archaeological team and the Hamilton County Parks & Recreation Department continued digging aggressively — never notifying tribal leaders.”1 Their actions destroyed the sacred site and continued to weaken the relationship between Native Americans and the government. Though this blatant ignorance for the law, the archaeologists discovered over 500,000 items 90,000 being artifacts and 200 human bones.

In addition to the archaeological reasons, Native American sacred sites have also been destroyed for economic reasons. Archaeological significant sites have been demolished in order for development projects for companies like WalMart. WalMart has been behind many contrevisoarl destruction of sacred sites in order for their developments numerous times since the 1990s. “Doing a little digging of our own, Facing South discovered that what happened in Oxford and Fenton were not isolated instances. There have been numerous cases involving destruction of Native American burial grounds and other culturally significant sites by Wal-Mart.”2  In multiple instances, artifacts and remains discovered while demolishing for developments were tossed aside, disregarded, and the sites were dug less carefully. Cultural heritage sites are protected and are supposed to be protected by federal laws. Unfortunately, there are not particular legal rites for specific locations to not be destroyed. Though these sacred and archaeologically significant sites are disregarded when they are established, when the development sites are known to have remains and they are approved to continue their development, they are asked to take precautionary measures for the preservation of any artifacts and remains discovered.

Lastly, religious reasons have been ruled on the reasoning behind the destruction of sacred Native American lands. Native Americans have always tried to be persuaded to convert their faiths to other religions like Christianity. Within Christiantiy, this religious group has invaded and exploited sacred sites of Native Americans in the name of their religion. For example, in Ohio, Native Americans clashed with a christianity group over the exploitation of their historical site. There, the Christianity group took a group to pray at the Great Serpent Mound. After learning of their plans, the American Indian Movement of Ohio's executive director Philip Yenyo stated, “You have no right and no business doing this on this sacred site where our ancestors are buried."3The Serpent Mound is a national historic landmark built by Native Americans and is no doubt that it is a sacred Native American Indian site. Though, thousands of individuals have visited this site from different religions as a way to share the site in appropriate ways.

The Native Americans nations have had their sacred sites destroyed and exploited numerous times. This explanation has been done in thought of being beneficial for educational , archaeological, and religious purposes. Though, these reasons were only justified by those not a part of the Native American tribes. The Native American tribes felt that the reasons behind these wrong doings were not justified. It has taken decades for the Native Americans to receive justice for the past’s negative actions towards Native Americans. Now that they have received their lands back and laws to protect them, they are now being desecrated for religious, archlegical, and economical reasons.



Sources:

1.    Rahman, Khaleda. “Native Americans Clash with Christian Prayer Group at Ohio Sacred Site,” December 22, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/native-americans-clash-christian-prayer-group-sacred-site-1556635.

2.    Sikich, Chris. “How a Native American Burial Site Was Desecrated in Hamilton County.” The Indianapolis Star. IndyStar, November 11, 2016. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2016/11/05/native-american-graves-strawtown/91913202/.

3.     Sturgis, Sue. “Wal-Mart's History of Destroying Sacred Sites.” Facing South, June 9, 2016. https://www.facingsouth.org/2009/09/wal-marts-history-of-destroying-sacred-sites.html.

4.     Ohio History. “Serpent Mound.” Home, 2015. https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/museum-and-site-locator/serpent-mound.



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