Human Remains Discovery Halts OCTA 405 Widening Project

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA —Orange County Transit Authority workers involved in the 405 freeway expansion discovered a Native American burial site in their project area in late September. Two weeks later, that portion of the freeway widening project remains at a standstill.

The burial site discovery instantly changed the nature of the project area from a construction site into a sacred space. As such, ancient human remains are protected by California state law until the site is appropriately searched, and the native person returned to closest relatives for proper burial.

On Sept. 25, workers uncovered the human bones, and associated ancient artifacts, the OCTA reported. Archaeologists, the Orange County Coroner's office, and the California Native American Heritage Commission all agree that the bones are human and likely Native American in origin, supervising Orange County deputy coroner Artin Baron said.

Laws prohibit the OCTA from providing information regarding the location or description of a grave, cemetery, objects, or sacred places, leaving the exact location shrouded in secrecy.
The commission has already determined that the remains are most likely descendants from a local Native American tribe. It is not currently known what additional archaeological work will be conducted in the area, or what effect, if any, it will have on the construction schedule or cost.

It has already been over two weeks since the original discovery, halting work and progress, and it could take months to start up again, according to OCTA spokesperson Eric Carpenter.

Walter Ahhaitty, operations director for the Fountain Valley-based Southern California Indian Center, discussed the findings with the OC Register.

Ahhiatty said that finding of a human burial makes the area a "cemetery," and halting work makes sense.

"(It would be like) digging up someone's grave," Ahhaitty told the Orange County Register. "It should not be taken lightly. We might not know today where our indigenous people are interred, but they knew, and they cared." Native people often left behind shells, necklaces, tools, and objects in burial sites. According to the OCTA, that was also the case with the human remains that were uncovered with this project.

"The discovery of one gravesite could lead to a larger prehistoric cemetery," Carpenter told Patch. OCTA is consulting with both CalTrans and the California Native American Heritage Commission on how to proceed, Carpenter said.

"The commission determines a most likely descendant from a local Native American tribe," Carpenter said. "OCTA and its partners recognize the cultural sensitivity of the issue and will work with all the parties involved to ensure appropriate and respectful procedures are followed."

According to the OCTA, construction of the 16-mile project, stretching between Costa Mesa and the county line, is moving forward.

City News Service contributed to this report.