TTSOML #50: Native American Burial Ground At Mt. Angel Abbey

I did some research about which Native American tribes were in the area where the Mt. Angel cemetary and Abbey were built. I knew something about Native American rights to repatriation of their land, especially burial sites. If a burial site is discovered, typically, it goes back to the tribe. I couldn't imagine this happening to a Catholic monastery but I wondered what was going on.

If Br. Ansgar had told me there was ancient Indian burial ground there, it was true. He wouldn't have lied to me about this, because he was proud to tell me he'd lied to someone ELSE about this matter, and how he had concealed the fact. He said someone came to the Abbey inquiring about this, and that he'd told them no. He then did the research, going through some old documents at the Abbey (I don't know where) and he discovered it was TRUE.

The Abbey had been built on sacred burial ground and their monks were buried on top of the Native Americans.

I contacted a tribe about this and he was concerned. He said he called the Abbey and first the Abbot told him no, this wasn't true, there was no sacred anything. Then, he called again, and the Abbot said there HAD been a Native American presence on that mountain, but that it was simply a holy "site" where they would go to pray, and NOT a "burial ground". Both the tribesman I talked to, and I, thought this was odd that he changed his story.

Then I contacted a federal group on the East Coast, which handled Native American affairs, and asked them. I figured they might know but they said they wouldn't be able to tell me if they did, because of "grave robbers".

A tribe from Oregon contacted me, telling me THEY were already in a working agreement with the Abbey about this matter and that it was their land, but I thought it was odd the OTHER tribe believed this to be their former territory and didn't know anything about it.

I knew, from a class I had taken in college, before I ever met the monks, that according to case law, Native American burial ground is a big deal, and it is usually returned to the tribe. I knew I had not misunderstood Br. Ansgar.

I later went to the Mt. Angel library--not the Abbey library, but the public library downtown and found a book with photos of large rocks as headstones on the mountain where the Abbey was, and there was information about how it had been occupied by a Native American tribe until a Catholic group moved into town and built a monastery. It was right there in this book. I'm pretty sure, but don't remember with certainty, that one of the cornerstones of the Abbey had been one of the sacred Native American stones that were on the mountain.

I don't know if the Abbey had to get their lawyers involved in discussions with tribes after I made my calls and told the tribes, or what. I imagine they did but I don't know what the outcome was.

I decided I had done what I felt was right--I passed on the information to tribes I thought were interested and that was all I could do.