Native American gravesites discovered
They were found under church parking lot
Investigations are underway this month for Native American gravesites under a church parking lot on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in northern Wisconsin.
Human remains were discovered in one testing site at the parking lot for the Community Presbyterian Church at 643 Old Abe Road in Lac du Flambeau on Aug. 17 and more testing is being conducted by tribal researchers to find more graves.
Testing started shortly after a tribal member noticed a deformity in the form of a depression on a section of the parking lot’s surface.
The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Historic Preservation Department called Bill Quackenbush, who’s the tribal historic preservation department for the HoChunk Nation, for assistance. Quackenbush started testing using ground penetrating radar.
Quackenbush and Ho-Chunk Nation researchers are specialists in finding ancient Indigenous burial mounds throughout Wisconsin, but the gravesites at the church are believed to be within 100 years old.
The church was built about 100 years ago and the parking lot was built about 50 years ago.
When Lac du Flambeau tribal officials announced on Facebook that there were possible gravesites at this location some tribal elders commented that they remember a cemetery there and that apparently only the headstones were moved to another location.
Some tribal members recalled their great-grandparents and other relatives may be buried there.
Three sites have initially been tested on the parking lot and one site produced positive results of the presence of human remains.
And preliminary tests indicate that there may be more than that one grave beneath paved parking areas.
Tribal officials said no remains will be exhumed and will remain untouched in the ground, but the tribe will reclaim the gravesite.
“It is the intention of the tribal historic preservation department and the tribe to continue to approach this highly sensitive work in a respectful manner with the Presbyterian Church,” the tribe said in a statement.
Tribal officials said the church’s pastor, Timm High, has been cooperative throughout the survey testing process.
High announced to parishioners on the church’s website that two-thirds of the parking lot is barricaded while testing is being conducted and that the church’s resale shop, The Attic, will remain closed while the parking lot is barricaded.
He said parking will mostly be an issue on Sunday mornings as he estimates they can only get about 20 cars on the part of the parking lots that’s not barricaded.
In the meantime, he said nearby St. Anthony Catholic Church has given permission for Presbyterian church-goers to park in its lot.
“Yes, there is and will be some inconvenience,” Timm said in a statement. “Hopefully, continued cooperation and open communications will allow for an outcome that resolves outstanding questions.”
The end result of the testing may affect the current church design and layout, tribal officials said, especially if the gravesites are reclaimed by the tribe.
“At this time, it is too early to make any substantive comments on how this process will affect the church parking lot,” the tribe said in a statement.
When Lac du Flambeau tribal officials announced on Facebook that there were possible gravesites at this location some tribal elders commented that they remember a cemetery there and that apparently only the headstones were moved to another location. Some tribal members recalled their great-grandparents and other relatives may be buried there.