And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: link sent by Mary M...thanks..:) Walkers demand Indian Remains http://www.journalstar.com/stories/loc/sto8 Sun's rays said sign of success BY KAREN GRIESS Lincoln Journal Star Through rain, wind and the wail of storm sirens, they quietly carried signs: "Distressed over captive remains" and "Let our ancestors' remains rest in peace." About 15 people participated in a spiritual walk Thursday from the Capitol to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in hopes of securing American Indian remains. By the time they reached UNL's Bessey Hall, the sun was shining -- a sign, the elders said, the Great Spirit heard their message. "Our ancestors do not rest while their skeletal remains are (here)," said elder Ken Bordeaux, a Lakota who lives in Lincoln. The walk followed Tuesday's discovery of another bone fragment in Bessey Hall. The fragment, measuring 1.25 inches by 1 inch, was found lying on a laboratory table. "It's a small part of a bone," said James R. Estes, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum. "But we can't say whether it's Native American or not." The university has had Indian remains in its possession for decades. On Sept. 1, UNL officials signed an agreement to return those remains to various tribal representatives. The repatriation has taken months because of complicated legal requirements and federal regulations. "I understand the impatience of some people," Estes said. "It does seem like a long time." But UNL must abide by the federal process, he said. "Our absolute goal is to repatriate all Native American materials as expeditiously as possible." Scott Barta, a Ho-Chunk from the Winnebago Reservation and organizer of Thursday's spiritual walk, said he'd petition the university to return remains to spiritual adviser Emmet Eastman of the Dakota Nation. "It's my responsibility to deliver them where they belong and bury them in dignity and pride," Eastman said. Details of many remains in university possession recently have been published in the Federal Register, which is required by law before tribes can claim them. If there are no competing claims during a 30-day waiting period, the appropriate tribe can then receive them, UNL officials said. "We don't want to return them to whoever speaks up first," said UNL's Estes, who had not received any claims from Eastman. Thursday's storm sirens nearly drowned out the drum beats, but not the group's spirit. Bordeaux said he saw the vision of a bald eagle within the clouds -- a good sign. "Our messages were taken to the Great Creator," he said. Still, frustrations remain, particularly after the latest bone discovery. Estes said the bone fragment would be examined by an independent physical anthropologist or osteologist to determine its origin. Until then, it is being held by University Police. All other remains are in a special campus storage basement until the legal hurdles are cleared. "This is a very sad day and shameful chapter," said Tim Rinne of Nebraskans for Peace. "We have taken so much from Native Americans, and now we don't even let them have their bones. It's a simple human rights issue." &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
