Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
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The hills glowed in the golden sunset and the coyotes howled in the distance when Senator Tim Johnson (SD-D) visited the White Swan burial site this evening and asked "how could this have happened?" Johnson, accompanied by aide Mitch Stewart and members of the Yankton sioux Tribe, was taken on a tour of the area before participating in a prayer ceremony.

Remains from relatives of tribal members were buried last month at the site, more than two months after scattered bones were discovered laying on teh dry riverbed of the Missouri River. The Senator's office has been in constant contact with the Tribe about this matter and has been of invaluable assistance.

The Senator was presented with gifts by young women from the Braveheart Society. Sage, tobacco, corn, sweetgrass, bitterroot, and chiaca (medicinal) tea were given with simple words about their purposes. These medicines were all found along the river historically and are in danger of being lost to development. Ceremonial songs were sung and prayers were offered in a circle at the burial site.

The Senator and his aide were smudged with sage and given tea to drink for protection and good health as they stood next to the burial mound topped by an eagle feather staff. The Braveheart girls offered a prayer song in their sweet, melodious voices, and an elected tribal official sang a song for inspiration with his strong, clear voice.

Before journeying to the site, the Senator sat down with about twenty tribal members at the Fort Randall Casino to discuss the matter. There the Seantor raised several questions of Corps tribal liaison David Vader about the issue, namely, why were the remains not removed in the first place. Vader responded, "We were required to remove the existing charted gravesites. Working through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Corps was responsible for putting out contracts for removal and reinterment of the remains...We have found that this has unfortunately happened before...I don't think that there was ever 100% recovery of any of the cemeteries. We are trying to raise the level of consciousness within the Corps about these issues."

The Senator also expressed concern about the sanctity of graves and grave goods, sacred artifacts which may have been buried with remains and which are highly coveted by "pot-hunters." Faith Spotted Eagle, a descendant of the White Swan Band of the Ihanktonwan (Yankton) Tribe, responded, that it was a major concern.

The Seantor, upon viewing photographs of the loose, scattered remains before the collection, said, "It seems almost beyond belief that this has happened."