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Residents press Lafayette council to add 200 names to cemetery memorial; staff to proceed with plaque installation
Summary
Residents and researchers urged Lafayette to add the names of roughly 200 people buried in unmarked graves to a cemetery memorial. City staff reviewed research and recommended a new engraved stone; council indicated no objection and directed staff to move forward with sourcing and installation.
At the March 17 Lafayette City Council meeting, multiple residents urged the council to add the names of roughly 200 people buried in unmarked graves to the Lafayette Cemetery memorial.
"I am speaking as a person who was present in 1992 when historical injustice was corrected at the Lafayette Cemetery... Today, I urge you to install a marker with the names of the 200 Lafayette residents whose names were erased from historical record," said Marta Kriasi Kern, who said she directs EcoArts Connections and was speaking on behalf of community researcher Elena Claver.
Community researcher Frank Archuleta told the council the work identifying the unmarked burials has been ongoing and urged a permanent, visible memorial: "We must have a special plaque or a headstone with all the 200 names on it," he said.
Deputy City Manager Megan Davis summarized staff work and the museum’s review of resident-submitted research. Davis said the city and the Lafayette History Museum have coordinated on verification and that staff is evaluating design, placement and the practicalities of adding names over time. "No council motion is necessary this evening, but we're seeking direction regarding the addition of this new plaque or stone with names identified by the resident groups who have brought this data forward," Davis told the council.
Council members asked procedural and logistical questions about verification, plaque placement and long-term maintenance. Several councilors and staff noted the museum and community researchers have reviewed and cross-checked names, and that additions would be batched and verified before being engraved.
With no objections voiced during the public meeting, the mayor said staff should proceed. "It sounds like we can move forward with this," the mayor said, giving staff direction to continue design and procurement and to work with the Lafayette History Museum on verification.
Next steps: staff will finalize design options, confirm costs and capacity to add names in batches, and return procurement details as needed while coordinating verification with community researchers and the Lafayette History Museum.
