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Lummi Nation speaker: these are our homelands; tribes work to avoid disturbing ancestors
Summary
Lummi Nation tribal preservation officer Lena So told the meeting that cultural belief and policy favor leaving ancestral remains undisturbed; the tribe nonetheless works with homeowners to minimize harm and, when necessary, repatriate remains.
Lena So, the tribal preservation officer for the Lummi Nation, told the audience the tribe’s policy and cultural belief is that ancestral sites and remains should not be disturbed, but that the tribe recognizes household and utility needs and works with homeowners to find designs that minimize disturbance. "These are our homelands and our ancestors," she said, and she described frequent collaboration with state archaeologists and county staff.
So said the tribe generally covers ceremonial costs from tribal general funds and does not receive payment from property owners or the county when responding to archaeological finds. She reiterated that the tribe aims to return ancestors to the place they were found whenever possible and to work with homeowners to keep disturbance minimal.
