I wish I were sending this with a more pleasant subject, but now I need your help. I may have talked to some of you about this before, here is a readers digest version of what I know.

Macon County, NC was some land (containing a rather large number of Cherokee graves), which along with the Economic Development Commission, wants to develop into an industrial park. The Eastern Band of Cherokee has offered to buy a 6 acre tract to preserve the burial grounds. The county commissioners voted to decline this offer, along with other proposals to protect the site. I have just recently found out about this and doing what I can to prevent this desecration. I may have talked to some of you about this before, but now I need your help. Two newspaper articles have been included.

These are a few addresses I have been able to find that are involved or that may help. Please take a few minutes to send a letter voicing your opinion on the matter. Remember the old politicians saying "a letter counts as 10, a phone call 1, postcard and form letter 1/2 and email 1/10". None of these have email.

The Macon County Board of Commissioners rejected a Tribal supported proposal from the Archeological Conservancy to buy the industrial site where Cherokee remains were found. And they voted to remove the rest of the remains.

The motion to decline the conservancy's offer was made by Commissioner Wayne Sheffield. In response to the moral issues involved, Sheffield said, "The economy of the people is a moral issue". He said that this was the right decision for Macon county. Sheffield and commissioners Jack D. Cabe and Sutton Russell voted to decline the Conservancy's offer and remove the rest of the remains. Commissioners Fred Munger and Nelson Bates were the two dissenting votes.

After the motion was made, Principal Chief Joyce Dugan asked about the possibility of having the area paved for the purpose of keeping the graves from being disturbed, Sheffield responded by saying the purpose of declining the offer was the declining employment rate in Macon county

The issue of reinternment has been left to the Tribe. "It's something we can't address at this time," Dugan said. It will he mid- May before any development begins.

Ed Shatley, chairman of the Economic Development Commission said, "The other side and the side that the EDC is concerned with today is what we do for economic growth of our community. And as we have pointed out before. this is the only economic development or industrial site that we have left. He talked about how archeological concerns killed a project over by an airport in Macon County. "Our people are 35 percent below the mean average wage in North Carolina and we've got to do something about that, or our community is going to suffer." Shatley said.

Using heavy equipment to remove the graves was discussed which caused Dugan to leave the meeting. She shook the hands of Munger and Bates before leaving.

Principal Chief Joyce Dugan announced that she was disappointed by the Macon County decision and compared it to the original removal of the Cherokees to Oklahoma.

Dugan said in a statement, "In correspondence to Mr. Mike Carpenter, County Manager, dated Jan. 10, 1996, I stated that my administration will continue our tradition of protecting our cultural heritage. In that letter, I expressed my desire to enhance the Tribe's relationship with Macon County in forgoing a new partnership in the promotion of a positive framework for our future relations."

Dugan has been to Macon County several times in attempts to come to a compromise. "l was hopeful we could find some resolution of the problems. I told Macon County we don't want graves desecrated. I indicated this was a strong position of our tribe," she said.

In her statement Dugan said, "As the descendants of these ancestors buried at this site. we accord respect for the sacredness of the place they chose to finally rest. These are the graves of our ancestors, and we desire they not be disturbed. We are no different in according respect for our dead than our non-Cherokee neighbors.

"I am disappointed in Macon County's decision to desecrate such a noted significant historical site in pursuit of economic development."

Dugan said that the Cherokee people are still being removed 150 years after the Trail of Tears. In her statement she said, 'For many years the policies of the United states government have been attempts to assimilate or marginalized American Indians in this great society we all share. These policies are evident in the fact that as we approach the end of the 20th century, 150 years after the removal of our Nation to Oklahoma, we are still fighting 'removal efforts,' Today, our dead ancestors are facing another Trail of Tears at the hands of the Macon county Board of Commissioners.

Dugan said the site is more than just a graveyard, "It represents a historical site that dates back to 500 B.C. This represents that fact that the Cherokee were here. It's wonderful proof of our existence."

When asked about the removal of Christian cemeteries and the differences, Dugan's response was, "When we are buried, we are put into the ground to enrich the soil for future generations. Graves are sacred." Dugan called for stronger state laws against grave desecration, she also said, "We are not responsible for actions of private individuals."

Macon County has agreed to provide land for the remains that have been removed. Dugan said that because economic development caused this removal, she can't be guaranteed it won't happen again.

Photo Caption:
(Principal Chief Joyce Dugan called for Stronger state laws against grave desecration as she announced to several media that she was disappointed in Macon County's decision. She called it a second Trail of Tears. The future of the remains is uncertain as legal action has not been ruled out.)

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