Authorities in Washington are investigating the desecration of a human skull found on territory of the
Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe.
The skull was found along Port Williams Beach over the Labor Day weekend earlier this month. According to news reports, someone desecrated it by purposely attaching it to a wooden stake. The lower jaw bone is missing.
“The tribe is deeply disappointed with this grievous act,” David Brownell, the tribe's historic preservation officer, said in a statement quoted by The Peninsula Daily News and Q13 Fox News. “The remains of our ancestors are sacred, and as such they are to be treated with the greatest measure of respect and our appropriate cultural reburial actions."
A preliminary investigation indicates the skull is at least 100 years old, according to news reports. The tribe will hold a reburial ceremony once a
determination of cultural affiliation is made.
"It is our expectation, if the determination is made that the remains are Native, that we may soon rebury this ancestor with the respect and reverence that are part of our cultural tradition and practices,” Brownell said in the statement to the media.
Read More on the Story
Origin of skull not yet known
(The Peninsula Daily News September 9, 2018)
‘The remains of our ancestors are sacred’: Tribe upset over ancient skull found desecrated at Port Williams Beach
(Q13 Fox News September 7, 2018)
Partial ‘desecrated’ human skull found in Clallam County believed to be ‘ancient’ — more than 100 years old
(Q13 Fox News September 6, 2018)
Beach walkers find partial human skull
(The Peninsula Daily News September 5, 2018)
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