Native Americans keep vigil to stop project from being Built on Burial Site

A group of American Indians and their supporters continued their vigil near a proposed development on Bloomington's east side after Indian remains were discovered buried there. Members of the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community (MMDC) insisted the remains should remain undisturbed even though the site is included in a planned $680 million office, residential and hotel/resort complex. The group said they would maintain their vigil near the intersection of 34th Avenue and East Old Shakopee Road until the situation is resolved. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council indicated last week that it planned to move bones from the site to another certified burial site. The MMDC members said any plan to remove the remains is unacceptable. "It's not just the bones that are there," said Jim Anderson, cultural chairman of MMDC. "Our ancestors' blood, their organs have returned to the earth. To move the bones would be desecrating their final resting place. [more ]