[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6080-S6081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        JEMEZ-PECOS REPATRIATION

 Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate a 
truly historic event that took place in my state of New Mexico last 
Saturday--the nation's largest act of Native American repatriation. The 
``Jemez-Pecos Repatriation'' resulted in the reburial of nearly 2,000 
human remains and artifacts unearthed from what should have been their 
final resting place over 70 years ago.
  On the Wednesday before the reburial, over 300 people started the 120 
mile walk from Jemez Pueblo in northern New Mexico to the ruins of the 
Pecos Pueblo. The journey is a long one in the dry New Mexico sun. The 
group, both young and old, traveled across three counties and through 
the beautiful Jemez Mountains before arriving at the former site of the 
Pecos Pueblo. But the journey of their ancestors is much more 
remarkable.
  Prior to the 1820's, the Pueblo was a thriving community and center 
for trade. The Pecos interacted extensively with the Plains Indians to 
the east, the neighboring Pueblos to the west and the nearby Spanish 
communities. However, years of disease and warfare eventually decimated 
the population. In 1838, the remaining residents of Pecos Pueblo 
relocated to the Pueblo of Jemez, in order to protect their traditional 
leaders, sacred objects and culture. This decision reflects the fact 
that Jemez and Pecos cultures were intricately linked by blood, 
language and spiritual beliefs as well as through their ``origin 
stories''. In 1936, Congress formally merged the two tribes into one, 
with the Pueblo of Jemez named as the legal representative of the Pecos 
culture and administrative matters.
  When the Pecos Pueblo was abandoned in 1838, it likely did not occur 
to the few surviving members of the Pecos that their burial site would 
be disturbed during the next century. However, the famed archaeologist 
Alfred V. Kidder unearthed the remains and artifacts during ten 
excavations between 1915 and 1929. The remains were housed at the 
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Cambridge,

[[Page S6081]]

Massachusetts and the artifacts were held at the Robert S. Peabody 
Museum of Archaeology at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. On 
May 18, 1999, Harvard University turned over the human remains and 
artifacts of nearly 2,000 people formerly buried at the Pecos Pueblo to 
the Pueblo of Jemez.
  Last Saturday, in a solemn private ceremony, the thousands of human 
remains and artifacts were reburied in the Pecos National Historical 
Park in a grave that was 6 feet deep, 600 feet long and 10 feet wide. 
The current burial site is near the former Pecos Pueblo.
  The historical event last Saturday reflects the close relationship of 
the Jemez and Pecos people and the strong commitment the Pueblo of 
Jemez has to the beliefs of their ancestors. Some of the remains and 
artifacts that were reburied date back to the 12th century.
  With the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act in 1990, the current members of the Pueblo of Jemez 
were able to fulfill the dreams of many of their ancestors who longed 
to have the remains of their people returned to their homeland. NAGPRA 
was drafted to protect burial sites on tribal and federal land and to 
enable tribes to obtain the return of human remains and associated 
funery objects to the culturally affiliated tribes.
  I commend the Pueblo of Jemez, and particularly the Governor, Raymond 
Gachupin, and the many governors before him, who worked tirelessly to 
get to this day of repatriation. It took eight years of negotiations 
and persistence to achieve the final goal of repatriation. In a private 
tribal ceremony on May 22, 1999, the remains and artifacts of the Pecos 
ancestors were returned to their rightful place. Many people would be 
angry or resentful if their ancestors were unearthed and relocated. But 
for the descendants of the Pueblos of Jemez and Pecos, May 22, 1999 was 
looked upon as a day of unity and healing. By focusing on the future, 
the descendants truly honored their ancestors. I understand that at the 
end of the ceremony, the New Mexico sky turned dark and the rain began 
to fall. Mr. President, rain in May is not a common occurrence in New 
Mexico, but neither is the repatriation of 2,000 Native Americans. I 
want to convey my respect and admiration to the members of the Pueblo 
of Jemez, past and present, for their commitment and dedication to the 
Jemez-Pecos Repatriation.

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