The Jamul Indian
Village of California denied disturbing a burial ground during construction of a $360 million casino.
Chairman Raymond Hunter said his sister, Karen Toggery, made false claims about remains that were removed from the work site. The tribal cemetery has not been harmed, he insisted.
“The Jamul Indian Village has been the caretaker of our lands for thousands of years, including the cemetery where many of our own family members have been laid to rest," Hunter told The San Diego Union-Tribune. "This includes my own mother, Marie Toggery.”
Toggery is a Kumeyaay descendant like her brother but she isn't enrolled in the Jamul Band. She was evicted from the reservation as the tribe pursued the casino.
Toggery and Walter Rosales, another Kumeyaay descendant, sued Caltrans, a state agency, in hopes of stopping construction but a state judge declined to issue an injunction. Their lawsuit claims the remains were dumped on state land.
Get the Story:
Jamul tribe speaks out against lawsuit
(The San Diego Union-Tribune 4/23)
Desecration Claims Denied, Tabled in Jamul Tribal Casino Project Case
(NBC San Diego 4/23)
Tribe rejects allegations of gravesite desecration during casino project
(San Diego 6 4/22)
Controversy over Jamul casino reaches court
(KUSI 4/22)
East County woman fighting Jamul casino project, claims land was once a burial site
(KGTV 4/22)
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Judge hears arguments in lawsuit
against Jamul Band casino (4/17)