Can you build on Indian burial grounds?
Historically, developers in the United States have desecrated traditional Native American land including burial grounds to build homes, businesses, or exploit resources.
What is a Native American spirit house?
Spirit houses, an Athabascan tradition, provide a place for the deceased soul to dwell during the 40 days it is believed to linger in this world. When a body is buried, stones are piled on the grave and covered in a blanket to provide symbolic warmth and comfort to the person.
Are Native American burial grounds sacred?
For thousands of years, Native American burial sites lay sacred and undisturbed. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, as cities and towns expanded, often they were plowed over or dug up by treasure hunters. The Grave Creek Mound in West Virginia once housed the remains of the Adena civilization’s most respected members.
Where was the Indian trail in Michigan?
The Old Indian Trail spans from Cadillac to Traverse City established sometime in the 1200’s. Today this tour of our region is made possible by Frank Ettawageshik & the Wexford County Historical Society. For several centuries, Odawa People have been on these shores and in the woods and hills of this land.
What happens if you dig up an Indian grave?
Warriors of native nations would not go back and dig up the graves of dead enemies; such actions were forbidden. The dead could not defend themselves; it was the responsibility of the living to do so. The indigenous people of the United States would fight for nearly two more centuries to have their dead honored.
Are Native American burial sites protected?
Native activists won a landmark victory in 1990 with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. This law protects Native human remains on federal and tribal lands and mandates that federal institutions (or institutions that receive federal funding) must repatriate Native remains in their possession.