Sacred Garbage?

John Kelly, an anthropology professor at Washington University, says he reviewed reports on the skull prepared by Burns & McDonnell and was disappointed by what he read. "It doesn't appear to be very well done," Kelly says. "They probably did what they were required to do by law, but it's a question of going beyond the law and respecting the wishes of the tribes. Even if it's just an isolated find like a human skull, from [the Native American] perspective, regardless whether it is part of a person or a whole person, it's still important."

Dawn Cobb, a skeletal remains coordinator for the IHPA who worked on the Milam remains, says there's nothing her agency can do. "What they're doing isn't anything illegal or immoral. They're doing business and they're working within the law."

McMullen agrees that the archaeological findings aren't enough to hold up the project. "We don't want to ignore it. We want tribes to be aware that because of the religious or ceremonial value we want to be sensitive," he says. "But there's not proof that [the skull] wasn't drug in by a coyote or by floodwaters. There's lot of digging or research needed to prove or disprove any theory."

Contact the author keegan.hamilton@riverfronttimes.com