[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4436 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4436
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and
feasibility of designating Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park and Tibes
Indigenous Ceremonial Center, as units of the National Park System.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 16, 2017
Miss Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and
feasibility of designating Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park and Tibes
Indigenous Ceremonial Center, as units of the National Park System.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Caguana Indigenous
Ceremonial Park and Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center Study Act''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
(1) Caguana indigenous ceremonial park.--
(A) The Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park is
comprised of approximately 13.5 acres located at the
center of Puerto Rico, in the Caguana Ward at the
Municipality of Utuado.
(B) The park is visited by approximately 60,000
students and tourists every year.
(C) Efforts to protect the park began in 1915, when
archeologist John Alden Mason, together with Robert T.
Aitken, started research on this archeological site. A
final report was issued in 1941.
(D) In 1949, the Puerto Rican anthropologist and
archeologist, Ricardo E. Alegria started a series of
excavations and, in 1964, as Director of the Institute
of Puerto Rican Culture, ordered the restoration of the
park.
(E) During 1992, after years of studies and
investigations, the National Park Service included the
park in the National Register of Historic Places. In
1993, the park received the distinction of a National
Historic Landmark.
(F) The park has one of the most surprising
archeological sites of the Antilles, including 22
petroglyphs on calcareous slates, monoliths located in
its main square, and the Cemi Mountain as sentinel.
(G) The park museum has a permanent exhibition of
more than 80 archeological pieces from the Taino
ancestors. Other pieces are exhibited at the University
of Puerto Rico Museum, the Puerto Rico Historical
Archives, the National Museum of American Indians in
New York City, and at Yale University, among other
private collections.
(H) The Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park has
unique pieces belonging to precolonial culture, from
Puerto Rico and from the Caribbean, and the best way to
ensure their protection of these treasures may be the
inclusion of the park as a unit of the National Park
Service.
(2) Tibes indigenous ceremonial center.--
(A) The Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center is
located between the wards of Tibes and Portugues in the
municipality of Ponce, and is considered one of the
most significant indigenous sites in the Caribbean. The
center is visited by approximately 80,000 students and
tourists every year.
(B) In 1975, Don Luis Hernandez--a sugar cane
worker--discovered the remnants of indigenous cultures
after the massive flooding caused by Hurricane Eloisa.
(C) Just after the discovery, the Guaynia Society
of Archeology and History from the Pontifical Catholic
University of Puerto Rico started the excavations and
restoration on the site. The group was assisted by the
renowned Antillean archeologist, Ricardo Alegria.
(D) After months of excavations, the Society had
discovered the oldest Antillean indigenous ceremonial
site in Puerto Rico, including the largest indigenous
cemetery on the Island with more than 186 human remains
from the Igneri and Pre-Taino cultures.
(E) Additionally, the Society discovered nine
plazas used by the indigenous to dance the areyto, play
ball and celebrate ceremonies of great importance. The
plazas varied in size from 42 feet long by 35.8 feet
wide to 115 feet long by 30.5 feet wide, and were named
as follows: Horseshoe Ball Court, Cemi Ball Court,
Santa Elena Ball Court, One Row Ball Court, Principal
Plaza, Oval or Elliptical Plaza, Bat Ball Court, and
Chief Ball Court. The ninth court remains unnamed.
(F) The Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center is key
in the education of the current and next generations of
Puerto Ricans about our indigenous roots. Thus, the
best way to preserve our heritage may be the inclusion
of the center as a unit of the National Park Service.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STUDY.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of the Interior shall--
(1) carry out a study regarding the suitability and
feasibility of designating Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Park
and Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center as units of the National
Park System; and
(2) consider management alternatives for the Caguana
Indigenous Ceremonial Park and Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial
Center.
(b) Study Process and Completion.--Except as provided by subsection
(c) of this section, section 100507(c) of title 54, United States Code,
shall apply to the conduct and completion of the study required by this
section.
(c) Submission of Study Results.--Not later than 1 year after the
date that funds are made available for this section, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of
the Senate a report describing the results of the study.
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