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Human Remains Repatriated to Wiyot Tribe
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District and the University of California at Berkeley recently repatriated 20 human remains believed to be lineal descendants of the Wiyot Tribe and 136 historical, traditional and culturally important objects that belong to the Wiyot Tribe.
“We have been working to return the remains of our relations for years. We are thankful to finally be able to welcome them home,” said Ted Hernandez, cultural director and tribal historic preservation officer for the Wiyot Tribe.
The collection of Wiyot remains and historical items was uncovered in 1946 during construction of the Humboldt Bay jetties, which were built by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, and have since resided in the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at U.C. Berkeley.
Research conducted by Statistical Research Inc. for the Corps found the human remains were likely to be lineal descendants of the Wiyot people, based on ethnographic, linguistic, osteological and archaeological data. Through further research conducted by U.C. Berkeley in 2021, it is believed the remains were those of likely victims of the massacre on Tuluwat Island, which took place Feb. 26, 1860, when white settlers attacked numerous Wiyot villages, killing hundreds of Wiyot people, mostly women and children.
The release states that Corps and U.C. Berkeley first consulted with numerous tribes concerning the collection in September of 2007.
“Information supplied by the Wiyot Tribe and other federally recognized tribes with Wiyot composition supported the research of the two agencies. The tribe recognized that the human remains belonged to the Wiyot and then requested the return of the remains and associated funerary items,” the release states. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District and U.C. Berkeley agreed to follow the process of repatriation pursuant to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (a federal law enacted by Congress in 1990 to ensure the return of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal
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descendants, Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations).”
It was unclear which of the two organizations should conduct the repatriation because, at the time of the excavation, neither party could clearly determine who owned the land where the remains were discovered. But, rather than delay the process for years, and at the request of the Wiyot Tribe, the two parties conducted the repatriation jointly.
“This a tremendous day for us,” said Hernandez. “It reflects the commitment of the University to find ways to make repatriation happen, to work constructively with our tribe, and agency partners.” — Iridian Casarez
POSTED 01.24.22
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