The Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe of Rhode Island says a trail-building project for which proper permits were never obtained has disturbed artifacts and sacred sites.

The town of Cumberland approved a trail development in The Monastery, a 530-acre site that includes a monument to soldiers killed by Indians. But town officials never obtained environmental and archaeological permits.

The work has since been halted. But the tribe released a report commissioned by state archaeologists that said the area was "highly sensitive" for artifacts. The tribe's chief claims there are artifacts and remains at the site.

The tribe filed a land claim for 34 square miles of northern Rhode Island that includes The Monastery. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit but the case will be heard by the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals on September 17.

Get the Story:
Monastery in spotlight (The Woonsocket Call 9/2)
Cumberland council votes to protect land (The Woonsocket Call 9/2)
Controversy over Cumberland trail intensifies (AP 9/1)