Native American Burial Site HALTS 405 Freeway Construction in Orange Country

    A road widening project has been indefinitely halted after a Native American burial site was believed discovered in a construction zone for the 405 Freeway.

Construction workers who were excavating as part of the I-405 Improvement Project spotted the remains, including bones, on Sept. 25 at an undisclosed location. According to Eric Carpenter of the Orange County Transit Authority, agency officials are prohibited by law from providing a location or description of a grave or sacred places.

After consulting with the Orange County Coroner’s office, the case was passed to the California Native American Heritage Commission, which will try to find out which tribe the remains might be linked to.

“OCTA and its partners recognize the cultural sensitivity of the issue and will work with all parties involved to ensure appropriate and respectful procedures are followed,” Carpenter said. “It’s unclear at this point what effect, if any, it will have on the construction schedule or cost.”

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Tongva Ancestral Nation Gets Naval Response on Pechanga's Theft of Bones

We've written twice on the Gabrieleno Kizh demanding answers from the Navy.  Now, a second group of Gabrielenos, the Tongva Ancestral Nation HAS received a response, and it looks like their query was in the nick of time.   There was a comment period.

It appears the Navy will be reviewing the disposition of the remains, while assessing the latest information