Advocates slam HPO, DCCA

Chamorro cultural advocates slammed yesterday government leaders overseeing the disposal of 332 human remains and artifacts uncovered on the construction grounds of the Saipan casino in Garapan, complaining that they have tried and tried to obtain information from the local Historic Preservation Office on the “disposition and whereabouts” of these remains but with no success.

In a letter to the HPO and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, the Matua Council for Chamorro Advancement called for the resignation of HPO director and State Historic Preservation officer Mertie Kani and Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Laura Ogumoro for allegedly not taking the lead on the disposition of these remains.

The council also tries to paint these two government offices as unacceptably inactive in regards to the repatriation and re-internment of another 263 remains and artifacts discovered on this old Samoa Housing site by previous archaeologists 17 years ago.

Saipan Tribune failed to obtain comments from HPO, DCCA, and the Saipan casino, Best Sunshine International, Ltd., after receiving a copy of the council’s letter late afternoon yesterday.

The Matua council has repeatedly cried their dismay over the construction of a 14-story casino resort towering over the heart of Garapan and built on grounds the advocates believe is an ancient Chamorro burial site. Last February, HPO approved the casino’s archaeological project to enter 18 burial sites and exhume the remains of ancient Chamorros.

In her letter, council president Liana Hofscheneider writes for a “technical report” for Anaguan, the ancient site. She said the letter serves as a third time it has been requested. The report was due to HPO—after an extension given—last Nov. 30.

“…We need to have the information regarding the disposition and whereabouts of the 332 human remains and artifacts immediately as these historical resources are not your or the government to unilaterally dispense,” or for the location to “be kept in secrecy.”

“These historical resources rightfully belong to our people, the Chamorros,” Hofschneider said.

Other complaints

The letter goes on to urge that HPO rescind an agreement between them and the casino’s hired archaeologists to “borrow for one year or more the human remains, and artifacts, and anything found” at the site. This includes shipping the remains off-island, Matua claims.

The council also says the reason of “a lack of funding” to recover the previous 263 remains uncovered on site in the late 1990s was unacceptable.

“It has been over 17 years since our ancestors have waited to be given the honor and respect to be reinterred to their resting place,” Hofschneider said. This means it has been “17 years of budget requests that your office should have taken initiative” on. “The lack of funding excuse to this fiasco does not qualify as a reason to justify your neglect of duty.”

She said to give authority and disposition of the 332 remains to the casino archaeologists furthers “the insult to this issue.”

In calling for Kani’s resignation, the council also asks why office archaeologists Eric Lash and Jennings Bunn resigned in a span of six months in 2015, and why historian Ray Muna resigned also.