Last week I was talking with a friend about the reburial of some human remains. The remains were discovered in mid 2003 by a contractor working for Bernalillo County. The contractor was working on a sewage system and unearthed the bones of an old cemetery, or camposanto. The camposanto was just north of Albuquerque rather close to the Rio Grande.
The New Mexico Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) was contacted by the contractor as soon as the remains were uncovered. This division assists with the identification and protection of cultural resources in my state. The work had indeed exposed an archaeological site. This division of DCA worked closely with archaeologists from the University of New Mexico on this site.
I remember when that story first surfaced. It is always horrifying to learn that these things happen. I helped a couple of people several years ago who were looking for information on the area where the remains were discovered. A recent article reported that the remains of about 123 people were recovered from the site. If my memory serves me right at the time I helped those people, the remains of at least 70 residents of the early village of Alameda had been discovered.
Archaeologists determined that the human remains were from a former burial ground of the original Nativity of Our Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Alameda. The time period tied to that community was from around 1700 to 1900. In the first few years of that final century, a major flood swallowed the area.
This past week, parishioners of the current Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church had a rosary and participated in a funeral procession. The church now sits on higher ground, due to that historic flood. The church parishioners then reburied the disturbed remains in the San Carlos Cemetery. The reburial coincided with the centennial celebration of that parish. I find that interesting because the church was built in 1913, shortly after New Mexico became a state.
Many years ago I remember helping two different archaeologists research a dig here in Santa Fe. Sadly, one of the archaeologists has now passed away. By using maps, we discovered that the area they were excavating here in Santa Fe was once a cemetery. It was scary to see the city divide the land and basically sell “graveyard” lots several years later. If I recall, that happened in the 1950s.
The most recent article on the Alameda remains said that with a “proper burial” these people were “now at final rest.” I send my blessings for the remains. It is unfortunate that someday these bones may be studied yet again by another set of archaeologists.
Archive for the ‘Artifacts and Archaeology’ category
Blessings for the Remains
February 2, 2013My Ancient Celtic Tongue
June 17, 2012On Friday, June 15, I attended a lecture to learn more about the Celt-Iberians and my yDNA (paternal). The lecture was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was held in conjunction with the 2012 Genealogical Society of Hispanic America Conference. I was thankful to Kathy Archuleta for allowing me to attend, and I will need to remember to call her and thank her personally.
The presenter started off by playing Spanish Celtic music which featured a Spanish bagpipe or Gaita. The artist was José Ángel Hevia Velasco, known professionally as Hevia. The majority of the presentation focused on a documentary about the Celts in Europe. The Celtic tribes were called “a great civilization” and the documentary featured ancient “galleries of rock art” which were used for rituals. The rock art depicted dwellings, hunting scenes, and tribal warriors with “exaggerated phallic displays.” An interesting archaeological excavation uncovered over 150 iron swords, spearheads, and daggers from the Lake Neuchatel site (La Tene, Switzerland).
Other archaeological discoveries included: royal tombs; Celtic art such as beautiful and intricate gold jewelry; plates with swirling patters and motifs; head dresses; gold vases; mirrors; bronze shields; and imagery of part animal/part human creatures. Some of the art work was called “nightmarish,” and was just my style. I am apparently a Spanish Celt at heart!! 🙂 The artworks featured monsters, and there was one piece with a human head in a monster’s mouth. The commentator of this documentary said that this was “the art of the elite,” and that it “expresses authority.”
We learned about how the Celtic tribes plundered the Greeks, and the Gods were said to have intervened at the sacred site of Delphi. That is why I wrote about the Oracle last night. I learned that the Iberian Peninsula has been a problem for scholars for several reasons. Some of the ancient structures built by the Celts included: pit traps; defensive towers; circular dwellings; and hill forts for protection (many of which go back to the Bronze Age). We learned some about migration from the documentary, though there is apparently no evidence of mass immigration. I saw the first written record of land ownership carved in stone.
I love that warfare was an intrinsic part of Celtic life. I may write at some point about the carnyx, which was made of bronze, and was the Celtic “instrument of war.” The instrument made an eerie sound, known by all as a warning. One scholar interviewed in the documentary said that the Celts “made great slaughter and decapitated enemies.” They had “the ability to kill and kill and great numbers,” and were “a powerful and organized society.” I would also like to learn more about the torc, as a symbol of authority. This was an open-ended ring of metal worn around the neck.
A couple of interesting thoughts I came away with…
I must get some traits from my ancient forefathers. I was glad to learn that art and music were very important to the ancient Celtic tribes. I had never thought about this until Friday, but for years people from outside of New Mexico have asked if I was from Europe. Many people have asked if I was Scottish or Irish. Yeah I know— New Mexicans– strange ha? I have always thought it was funny, but as it turns out, maybe my tongue actually makes sounds indicative of an ancient Celtic nation? Apparently, “during the 1st millennium BC,” Celtic languages “were spoken across Europe,” and “in the Iberian Peninsula.” Hum? Another thought was how very appropriate it was that I was learning about my yDNA just a couple of days before Father’s Day!
New Quarter Honors Chaco Culture National Historical Park
April 1, 2012Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarters Released in Bags and Rolls
Originally published online by America the Beautiful Quarters Staff on March 31, 2012 at http://americabeautifulquarters.com/chaco-culture-national-historical-park-quarters-released-in-bags-and-rolls/
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Starting the month of April for United States Mint product launches will be the release of bags and rolls of Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarters. The coins officially enter circulation through Federal Reserve banking channels on Monday, April 2, 2012, and the U.S. Mint will offer two-roll sets and 100-coin bags of the quarters on the same day beginning at 12:00 noon ET.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarters are the second of five 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters and the 12th overall in the ATB series which debuted in 2010. The coin, as the name implies, honors Chaco Culture National Historical Park which is located in the state of New Mexico.
The quarter’s reverse design reflects a view to the west of two elevated kivas that are part of the Chetro Ketl Complex. The design shows the north wall of Chetro Ketl and the north wall of the canyon. Inscriptions on the reverse include CHACO CULTURE, NEW MEXICO, 2012 and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The designer was Donna Weaver and the sculptor was Phebe Hemphill.
Prices for bags and rolls of quarters released this year are less expensive than past years. 100-coin bags may be purchased for $34.95, which is down $15 from 2010 and 2011-dated bags. The bags are filled with 100 Chaco Culture quarters minted from either Philadelphia or Denver — buyer’s choice. The canvas bags are tagged with “Chaco Culture National Historical Park,” “NM” and “P” or “D.”
The two-roll sets include one roll of 40 quarters from the Philadelphia Mint and another roll of 40 quarters from the Denver Mint. U.S. Mint wrapping displayed on each of the rolls has “Chaco Culture National Historical Park,” the abbreviation “NM” for New Mexico, “$10,” for the face value of its contents, and “P” or “D” for the U.S. Mint of origin. The rolls are priced at $32.95, which is $7 cheaper than previous rolls.
The bags and rolls may be purchased directly from the United States Mint website at http://www.usmint.gov/ or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Upcoming quarter designs in 2012 will honor Acadia National Park in Maine, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii and Denali National Park in Alaska. The first quarter released in 2012 celebrated El Yunque National Forest located in Puerto Rico.
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11*****Posted using WordPress for BlackBerry*****11
Māori: Origins of a Warrior
January 26, 2012
Digital composite of a Māori Warrior by Felicia Lujan. Includes: multiple renderings of a Moko drawing of Te Pehi’s face (1975 white paper); a photograph of a wooden Māori dagger (1920 white paper); and one contemporary photograph.
Origins of a Warrior
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Māori man, I can feel the power
of your breath. The energy in each
breath searches for listening hearts.
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Māori man, your ancestral cry
pierces me. Indigenous warrior, you
must protect your land and people.
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Māori man, your roots run deep.
They are so deep, that only the stars
can remember the origin of those
who came before you.
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Māori man, identity marked in thick
black will grace the face of your son.
The children of your children will
forever value your whakapapa.
*****
Māori man, I can feel the spirit
of this spiral of life. The force
gives me strength, and penetrates
my listening heart.
*****
by Felicia Lujan_1.25.2012
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Old Māori Proverb
“Ma te huruhuru te manu ka rere, Ma te ao te rangi ka uhi.”
“By feathers alone can the bird fly, By clouds are the heavens covered.”
————A Māori Bone Decorative Comb from Riverton by H.D. Skinner
————Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 39, No. 3 (1930), Page 285
War cry of their ancestors, the War Haka or Peruperu is a traditional dance of the Māori of New Zealand. This dance is filled with powerful movements, which involve the entire body and spirit. With their eyes open wide, strong stances, and the use of their tongue, the Māori exude strength. Heavy sounds from the slaps of their hands, dominant foot stomps, and deep shouts, are used to evoke the God of War. This dance is fierce, and is performed with weapons. According to some accounts, the Haka changed dramatically following World War I, but I would need to do more research to confirm that.
I became enthralled with the Māori when Alan Duff’s independent film Once Were Warriors (1994) was released. Duff, a journalist, novelist, and native to New Zealand gave me my first taste of culture in the South Pacific Ocean. I wanted to know more about the islands of New Zealand, which are at least half a world away from me. The film is centered on the social problems of the Heke family, and is still used today as a tool by educators and historians internationally. What inspires me in this film are the themes of hope and family. I am so inspired by the ability of a family to draw strength from tragedy. When one son in the fictional family immerses himself in the spirit of his ancestors, some of the family members are able to band together with mighty force. After seeing these men perform the War Haka or Peruperu, I was intrigued.
From 2001-2003, with each release in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I couldn’t help but remain mystified by the beautiful scenes filmed in New Zealand. There were breathtaking mountains, waters, and mystical places. The islands seemed magical. Through the cinematography in these movies, I could almost grasp the spirit of place. I was recently reminded of New Zealand by “a woman of strength,” Maryanne Pale (http://maryannepale.com/). Maryanne is the woman who nominated me for a Genuine Blogger Award. I was honored to be nominated by such a distinguished and beautiful writer. After discovering she was from New Zealand, I started to look into the origins, history, and mythology of the Māori.
I did track down four anthropological white papers written between 1901 and 1975. I was absolutely amazed to find out that the tattoo (moko) of the Māori often represents ancestral origins (genealogy). I couldn’t believe it?! As an archivist, as a genealogist, as an artist, and as a tattooed woman, I found this astounding. According to one anthropological account of moko designs, “the symbolism that governed an artist’s choices in composition has been lost.” It is understandable that the researchers are referring to hard copy records. Though actual records relative to the symbolism of moko designs may be nonexistent, certainly oral history and collective memory have preserved meaning. One account of an indigenous carver, said that he “was brought up to believe the different patterns in front of each ear represented descent from the male and female sides of a man’s family.”
It was also interesting for me to discover that the primary marks used by the Māori are “curves and spirals.” The spiral is of course one of my signs. I have been signing my art and poetry with the symbol since I was in my youth. I am always lead to the subjects of my writing for a reason, because as we all know, everything happens for a reason. Can you imagine wearing your lineage as a visual badge? It is a fascinating tradition to say the least. In the future, I hope to learn more about the Māori, and maybe one day I can visit New Zealand.
General Information:
Māori Haka
http://nz-maori.com/maori-haka.html
Lord of the Rings Trilogy- Film Locations
http://www.filmnz.com/locations-gallery.html#
Information on New Zealand
http://www.newzealand.com/
Scholarly Sources:
Māori Tatu and Moko by H. Ling Roth
Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 31(1901), Pages 29-64
On Two Wooden Māori Daggers by William Ridgeway and H.D. Skinner
Man, Vol. 20 (1920), Pages 49-52
A Māori Bone Decorative Comb from Riverton by H.D. Skinner
Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 39, No. 3 (1930), Pages 284-285
Moko and C.F. Goldie by Michael King
Journal of the Polynesian Society, Vol. 84, No. 4 (1975), Pages 431-440
King Tut and Haplogroup R1b1a2
November 18, 2011It is amazing to see the hits when one searches the information highway for stories about King Tut’s DNA. Sometime back, I discovered that the men in my paternal line share the same Y-DNA of this king. Tut’s DNA derived from Haplogroup R1b1a2. There are still a great number of people at odds over his origin, but I’ll bet most of them are not scientists!! 🙂
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Half of European Men Share King Tut’s DNA
http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFL3E7J135P20110801?sp=true
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Originally published on the Reuters Africa web site (8.1.2011 by Alice Baghdjian and edited by Paul Casciato)
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LONDON Aug 1 (Reuters Life!) – Up to 70 percent of British men and half of all Western European men are related to the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, geneticists in Switzerland said.
Scientists at Zurich-based DNA genealogy centre, iGENEA, reconstructed the DNA profile of the boy Pharaoh, who ascended the throne at the age of nine, his father Akhenaten and grandfather Amenhotep III, based on a film that was made for the Discovery Channel.
The results showed that King Tut belonged to a genetic profile group, known as haplogroup R1b1a2, to which more than 50 percent of all men in Western Europe belong, indicating that they share a common ancestor.
Among modern-day Egyptians this haplogroup contingent is below 1 percent, according to iGENEA.
“It was very interesting to discover that he belonged to a genetic group in Europe — there were many possible groups in Egypt that the DNA could have belonged to,” said Roman Scholz, director of the iGENEA Centre.
Around 70 percent of Spanish and 60 percent of French men also belong to the genetic group of the Pharaoh who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.
“We think the common ancestor lived in the Caucasus about 9,500 years ago,” Scholz told Reuters.
It is estimated that the earliest migration of haplogroup R1b1a2 into Europe began with the spread of agriculture in 7,000 BC, according to iGENEA.
However, the geneticists were not sure how Tutankhamun’s paternal lineage came to Egypt from its region of origin.
The centre is now using DNA testing to search for the closest living relatives of “King Tut”.
“The offer has only been publicised for three days but we have already seen a lot of interest,” Scholz told Reuters.
The Mystery of King Tut’s Spanish and European Ancestors
September 15, 2011Published August 02, 2011
| Fox News Latino
King Tut is making noise even from the after-life with the discovery that 70 percent of men across Spain and Britain and 50 percent of all men in Europe are ancestors of Egypt’s boy king.
Only 1 percent of Egyptians carry the same DNA as their ancient pharaoh.
Geneticists at Switzerland-based iGENEA DNA genealogy test center say the young Pharaoh and the bulk of European men fall into the genetic haplogroup R1b1a2, according to iGenea.com.
What is mysterious about the news is that researchers are unsure how Tutankhamun would come to have the same DNA of Europeans. That little tidbit has iGENEA flummoxed.
“Since paternal ancestry of King Tut is unknown, therefore it is not clear at this point of time, how this lineage came from its region of origin to Egypt,” the website read.
The results are particularly shocking because so few Egyptians carry his DNA.
The genealogy test center reconstructed the “Y-DNA profile of Tutankhamun, his father Akhenaten and his grandfather Amenhotep III” by watching a special on the Discovery Channel.
So if you want to brush up against the ancestors of ancient Egyptian royalty you might do well to start in Spain or Britain.
King Tut’s Maternal DNA Match…
June 20, 2011Using the latest DNA analysis methods, the team confirms that a anonymous female mummy in tomb KV35 is Tut’s mother.
http://www.yourdiscovery.com/video/king-tut-unwrapped-maternal-dna-match/
Recent news from dnanews.org
June 20, 2011Forensic DNA- The Real Mona Lisa Model to be Proven With DNA
http://dnanews.org/category/forensic-dna/
DNA Migration- Archeology and Genetics Challenge the Earliest Time of Native American Population
http://dnanews.org/category/dna-migration/
Success is in Your Genes
http://dnanews.org/success-is-in-your-genes/
Enchantment: The Deflection and Assemblage of Intellects
June 13, 2011“O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick, thus with a kiss I die.”
-William Shakespeare
“True, I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy.”
-William Shakespeare
Possession was released in 2002. The movie is based on A.S. Byatt’s 1990 novel Possession: A Romance, and stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jeremy Northam, Jennifer Aehle, and Lena Headey. The movie has so much that I have passion for with history, poetry, scholars, archives and libraries, museums, a crystal ball, and symbolism. It is also filled with intellectual enigmas. I would now like to read the novel, but have not yet attempted to secure a copy. I have read that in this novel the author uses epigraphs to start each chapter. I find this interesting, as I tend to do the same thing when I write. This story line centers on two post-modern scholars who retrace the footsteps of two Victorian Era writers. The scholars do so in an attempt to learn more about the relationship between these two writers, and in effect themselves.
Roland (Eckhart) is a post-grad working in the British Museum. He uncovers long forgotten letters in an old book in the London Library, which raise more questions than answers. The discovery could forever change what scholars have believed about the life of two poets. In asking for advice from a stern professor of Gender Studies named Maud (Paltrow), the two embark on a mysterious investigative journey. When Roland approaches Maud with the letter, she is skeptical about the discovery, and scolds him for removing the original from the library. The letter may confirm an illicit affair, and so the scholars are drawn to seek the truth. They decide to trace the steps of these poets, and discover their own passions along the way.
The fictional Victorian Era writers being analyzed by Maud and Roland are the star-crossed lovers, Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte. Each is in a respective relationship, still they discover a profound connection which brings an intimacy through correspondence. Maud and Roland become intrigued and discover written hidden messages from LaMotte in her old family home, which lead to a treasure trove of old letters, poetry, and of course more clues. The documents are hidden away in a childhood keepsake. Once the scholars discover the letters and poems, they sit amazed and stay reading them together, learning on the floor of LaMotte’s old room.
The word “possession” reflects a dual significance in this story by A.S. Byatt. This can be seen when the possession of diaries, letters, poetry, collections, and rights to a collection exude power in the cutthroat world of academia. Maud is a LaMotte scholar, and is a direct descendant of the LaMotte family. There is also a mention of the LaMotte genealogy in the movie. Possession is also integrated into relationships, where the condition of physically owning a partner and maybe the psyche of that partner aids in self-definition. Additionally, possession is tied to sexual ideology, and this movie challenges the pigeonholes of sexuality. Star-crossed lovers, with common interests share literary expressions in an attempt to pinpoint their underlying identities.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Security Training
June 6, 2011On the week ending May 27, 2011, I attended a training delivered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). An Archives Specialist from the Security Management Branch named Michael Knight came from College Park, MD to Santa Fe, NM to deliver the training. The training offered by Mr. Knight was indeed insightful and interesting. The training was designed for archival staff to get a firm understanding of risks, problems and issues which arise in an archive. This is intended to help us better protect permanent records. Some of the questions posed by Mr. Knight were:
What does suspicious behavior look like?
Why do people steal records and/or why do they go missing?
How do we determine motives exist?
What about intentional damage?
How do we call for a Quality Control Audit?
Sadly, there were several cases of theft, inappropriate behavior, and the altercation of records discussed in detail by Mr. Knight. There were particular cases which I found more interesting, so I did further research into these particular cases. I provide a short synopsis of these cases as follows:
Dr. Thomas Lowry and a Special Fountain Pen: The Case of an Altered Lincoln Document
On January 25, 2011, the Washington Times ran a Civil War article written by Martha M. Boltz. The headline read “Archives Alleges Dr. Lowry Altered Lincoln Document.” In the scholarly world, this alteration made Dr. Lowry a very famous man for prestigious reasons. This man was a noted author who changed the date on a document in the National Archives. The modification was to a single number, but that number was very important on a pardon record. Dr. Lowry allegedly changed the number 4 to a number 5 “using a special fountain pen,” making the document appear to be an original from 1865. The author then claimed that he had located the last document ever signed by President Abraham Lincoln right before he was assassinated in 1865. This author is most known for his book “Sex in the Civil War- Stories the Soldiers Didn’t Tell.” It took close to 14 years, for an archivist to discover the fraudulent document. Trevor Plante compared the suspect pardon, “a Presidential edict that saved a young soldier from execution,” with the penmanship on several of Lincoln’s original documents, then declared the 1865 pardon a forgery. Martha M. Boltz who reported on this story in January of this year, said that “the Woodbridge researcher and psychiatrist basked in the glory of his peers and historians everywhere as the new discovery was announced,” and that the author understood this “would be the ultimate feather in a researcher’s cap!” This case is still under investigation, but the author has apparently admitted that he altered the date.
An Unknown Perpetrator, Binary Code, and Two Terabytes: The Case of the Missing Clinton Administration Hard Drive
Somewhere between the last quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, an external hard drive with binary data went missing from a processing room at NARA’s College Park, Maryland facility. In April of 2009, NARA staff confirmed that the external hard drive which contained data from the President Bill Clinton Administration’s Executive Office of the President (EOP) was indeed missing. There were 113, 4mm tape cartridges from the administration copied onto a two terabyte Western Digital My Book. Once it was confirmed that the drive was gone, staff reported the theft to the Archivist of the United States, and the Inspector General (IG), in addition to other officials. A Senior Agency Official for Privacy and General Counsel was also alerted of the theft, as the drive contained personal identifying
information of Executive Office of the President staff members, as well as on others who submitted information to and/or visited the White House. Several thousands of people had to be notified that their social security numbers (over 100,000), and home addresses had been part of the compromised data. There were also Secret Service security procedures, snapshots of employee computer hard drives, and other records on that drive. Though the external drive went missing, a backup had been made, so there was no data permanently lost. This case is actively being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as the United States Secret Service. NARA is now offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of this drive.
Grave Robbing and Ill Karma: The Case of New Mexico’s Buffalo Soldiers
From the 1970s through sometime in the 2000s, the remains of Buffalo Soldiers were discovered along the river here in New Mexico near Fort Craig (established in the 1854) by grave robbers. The soldiers were from the 125thInfantry, and were African Americans nicknamed “Buffalo Soldiers” by Native Americans. In 2004, the United States Bureau of Reclamation was notified by a renowned historian that Dee Brecheisen, a Vietnam Veteran, and former National Guard pilot had been looting grave sites for years. The desecration of graves, and the looting of human remains has to be an evildoing worthy of relentless troubles to follow. The former pilot, was trained in the use of ground penetrating radar, and had used this technology to locate potential sites. Sometime back when Brecheisen passed away, his wife contacted the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to report the thefts. Human remains of soldiers were taken from original fort sites along the Rio Grande. When investigators arrived at the home of this robber, they were led to the basement. There they found human remains, as well as two shrunken heads. When the National Archives was contacted in regard to this case, a troubling discovery was made there as well. The archives had been contacted in an attempt to research possible grave locations using maps, only to discover that these items had also disappeared from the collection. In 2007, federal archaeologists exhumed over 67 bodies (39 men, two women, and 26 infants) from Civil War Era- Fort Craig in a covert dig. There were 39 sets of human remains shipped from New Mexico to Washington for further examination by anthropologists and scientists. The study was a mix of digital and nuclear science, using special scanners and xray machines. In 2010, the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum in Houston, Texas opened an exhibit titled The Forgotten Faces of Fort Craig. The exhibit utilized famed Forensic Sculptor, Amanda Danning and Dr. Ali Kamrani to replicate the skulls of Civil War Buffalo Soldiers. Following this study, the remains were re-interred in New Mexico following joint efforts of BLM, NARA, and the Santa Fe National Cemetery. This insured that these soldiers received an honorable, proper burial. This past Memorial Day Weekend (May 2011), members of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club visited Santa Fe for a special ceremony at the National Cemetery to once again honor the soldiers.
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