Dig revealing 700-year-old village
Associated Press
7:35 AM CDT, June 20, 2009
LEWISTOWN, Ill. - The remains of a 700-year-old American Indian village are slowly beginning to emerge from the ground near Dickson Mounds. The ongoing archaeological dig is revealing tools, pottery and even the living quarters, and the public is invited to see the artifacts firsthand. Students from Michigan State University are spending six weeks digging at The Nature Conservancy, located on land at the north end of the conservancy's Emiquon Preserve about two miles northeast of the Dickson Mounds Museum. Their efforts have turned up shards of pottery, arrowheads and the foundations of houses and other structures that date back to about 1300. The public was invited to the site for an open house on Saturday to view the findings. Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-ancientvillage,0,7307983.story
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Another artifact-theft defendant found dead of apparent suicide
Another artifact-theft defendant found dead of apparent suicide
Raid fallout » Santa Fe resident apparently shot himself in chest in Illinois, coroner says.
By Patty Henetz
Salt Lake Tribune
Updated:06/19/2009 04:13:31 PM MDT
A second defendant in the federal bust of archaeological looters in southern Utah has killed himself.
Steven L. Shrader, 56, shot himself twice in the chest late Thursday or early Friday behind an elementary schoool in the Village of Shabbona, Ill., authorities there said.
The DeKalb County sheriff's office had been looking for a "despondent individual" since receiving a call just before 11 p.m., said sheriff's office Chief Deputy Kevin Hickey.
Deputies launched a search with tracker dogs and found Shrader about 1 a.m. Flown by helicopter to a hospital in Rockford, Ill., he was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. Friday.
Shrader, a Santa Fe, N.M. resident, was among 24 people indicted in a 2 1/2-year investigation of looting and grave-robbing Indian artifacts on public and tribal land in southeastern Utah.
On June 10, federal agents simultaneously served warrants and arrested 19 residents of San Juan County and Moab in the bust. Shrader was one of four others also charged in the sweep.
The next day, Blanding doctor James Redd, who also was charged in the crackdown on illegal antiquity trafficking, took his life while sitting in his vehicle by a pond on his property. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Winnebago County, Ill., Coroner Sue Fiduccia said Shrader was in Illinois to visit his mother. Fiduccia also said Shrader had left a note.
Hickey said the contents of the note would not be disclosed.
Reached at her home in Shabbona, Shrader's mother, Iola Schrader, said she "couldn't talk" and that she was alone.
Shrader voluntarily turned himself in last Friday at the FBI offices in Santa Fe and was taken into custody on a federal warrant, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Fuhrman of the Salt Lake City office.
Shrader was released from custody after his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday. Federal agents took him back to Santa Fe that day. His residence was not the subject of any of the search warrants executed by the FBI and BLM. He was scheduled to make an initial appearance in Salt Lake City on Friday morning, Fuhrman said.
U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said that during the operation, an undercover operative paid about $336,000 for more than 250 artifacts from the Four Corners area, including sacred prayer sticks, baby blankets, seed jars and other objects included in ancient Puebloan burial mounds.
Shrader, who faced two felony counts, was indicted for trafficking in stolen artifacts along with Carl Crites, 74, Marie Crites, 68, and Richard Bourret, 59, all of Durango, Colo.
An affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver implicates Shrader in a 2008 "arrowhead hunt" in Disappointment Valley near Dove Creek, Colo. The affidavit says an undercover operative, identified only as the "Source," was in the Crites residence in March 2008, where Crites displayed arrowheads he said came from Disappointment Valley, a huge area ringed by prehistoric ruins.
During a subsequent conversation between the Source, Shrader said he had gone to the valley with Crites. It was unclear from court papers whether he was on public land.
Reached at his home in Durango, Crites said he was unsure of Shrader's involvement in the federal case. "I don't know why he was charged even," Crites said. "I don't think he did anything wrong."
Crites lamented the loss. "That's a shock to me, because he was a friend," Crites said. "He was a good young man. A single man. A hard-working man. Very personable."
Crites declined to further discuss his relationship with Shrader.
Brandon Loomis contributed to this article.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12643036
Raid fallout » Santa Fe resident apparently shot himself in chest in Illinois, coroner says.
By Patty Henetz
Salt Lake Tribune
Updated:06/19/2009 04:13:31 PM MDT
A second defendant in the federal bust of archaeological looters in southern Utah has killed himself.
Steven L. Shrader, 56, shot himself twice in the chest late Thursday or early Friday behind an elementary schoool in the Village of Shabbona, Ill., authorities there said.
The DeKalb County sheriff's office had been looking for a "despondent individual" since receiving a call just before 11 p.m., said sheriff's office Chief Deputy Kevin Hickey.
Deputies launched a search with tracker dogs and found Shrader about 1 a.m. Flown by helicopter to a hospital in Rockford, Ill., he was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. Friday.
Shrader, a Santa Fe, N.M. resident, was among 24 people indicted in a 2 1/2-year investigation of looting and grave-robbing Indian artifacts on public and tribal land in southeastern Utah.
On June 10, federal agents simultaneously served warrants and arrested 19 residents of San Juan County and Moab in the bust. Shrader was one of four others also charged in the sweep.
The next day, Blanding doctor James Redd, who also was charged in the crackdown on illegal antiquity trafficking, took his life while sitting in his vehicle by a pond on his property. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Winnebago County, Ill., Coroner Sue Fiduccia said Shrader was in Illinois to visit his mother. Fiduccia also said Shrader had left a note.
Hickey said the contents of the note would not be disclosed.
Reached at her home in Shabbona, Shrader's mother, Iola Schrader, said she "couldn't talk" and that she was alone.
Shrader voluntarily turned himself in last Friday at the FBI offices in Santa Fe and was taken into custody on a federal warrant, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Fuhrman of the Salt Lake City office.
Shrader was released from custody after his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday. Federal agents took him back to Santa Fe that day. His residence was not the subject of any of the search warrants executed by the FBI and BLM. He was scheduled to make an initial appearance in Salt Lake City on Friday morning, Fuhrman said.
U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said that during the operation, an undercover operative paid about $336,000 for more than 250 artifacts from the Four Corners area, including sacred prayer sticks, baby blankets, seed jars and other objects included in ancient Puebloan burial mounds.
Shrader, who faced two felony counts, was indicted for trafficking in stolen artifacts along with Carl Crites, 74, Marie Crites, 68, and Richard Bourret, 59, all of Durango, Colo.
An affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver implicates Shrader in a 2008 "arrowhead hunt" in Disappointment Valley near Dove Creek, Colo. The affidavit says an undercover operative, identified only as the "Source," was in the Crites residence in March 2008, where Crites displayed arrowheads he said came from Disappointment Valley, a huge area ringed by prehistoric ruins.
During a subsequent conversation between the Source, Shrader said he had gone to the valley with Crites. It was unclear from court papers whether he was on public land.
Reached at his home in Durango, Crites said he was unsure of Shrader's involvement in the federal case. "I don't know why he was charged even," Crites said. "I don't think he did anything wrong."
Crites lamented the loss. "That's a shock to me, because he was a friend," Crites said. "He was a good young man. A single man. A hard-working man. Very personable."
Crites declined to further discuss his relationship with Shrader.
Brandon Loomis contributed to this article.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12643036
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bear Butte ~ Commission grants Glencoe liquor applications
Commission grants Glencoe liquor applications
License transfer passes on narrow margin
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune staff | Thursday, June 18, 2009
STURGIS -- Meade County commissioners narrowly approved ownership transfer of beer and liquor licenses for a popular Sturgis motorcycle rally site Wednesday afternoon.
Approval of the liquor license gives Glencoe Entertainment LLC the authority to sell on Sundays. That license was transferred from Glencoe CampResort and Rock'N the Rally, a campground and amphitheater east of Sturgis.
Commissioners voted 3-2 to support the motions. Dayle Hammock, Robert Mallow and Gary Cammack favored the transfer. Alan Aker and Doreen Allison-Creed cast dissenting votes.
Aker said he opposed the licenses because some of the land encompassed in the use area is classified as agricultural. He cited the conflicts of commercial use in a designated agriculture setting at an earlier meeting.
"I had some people support the position I gave last time," Aker added. "Nobody tried to change my mind."
Aker earlier this month also expressed concern that the alcohol licenses covered 492 acres. He said he reconsidered and decided that approved applicants should be able to determine their business operations and that an entire property should be considered licensed as a bar.
Cammack said that the business already exists, and it does the same thing every year. He said that made the process straightforward for him.
"We were considering a transfer of a license," Cammack said, explaining his vote. "The considerations are character and location."
County personnel conducted background checks and did not report anything that merited blocking the new applicants from taking over the operation, he said.
Michelle Lamphere manages Glencoe's bar operation and said the food stand, pavilion and nearby patio will serve as on-site sale points. She said that an internal security and management plan will be implemented, and customer identifications will be checked.
In a separate application, the commission granted the retail on-off sale malt beverage application for Daly LLC & Hide Away Lounge near Sturgis.
Action on the license was tabled earlier this month because the business had not paid county property taxes. Auditor Lisa Schieffer said the taxes were paid June 8.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/06/18/news/local/doc4a39ce42aa044398015452.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv
License transfer passes on narrow margin
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune staff | Thursday, June 18, 2009
STURGIS -- Meade County commissioners narrowly approved ownership transfer of beer and liquor licenses for a popular Sturgis motorcycle rally site Wednesday afternoon.
Approval of the liquor license gives Glencoe Entertainment LLC the authority to sell on Sundays. That license was transferred from Glencoe CampResort and Rock'N the Rally, a campground and amphitheater east of Sturgis.
Commissioners voted 3-2 to support the motions. Dayle Hammock, Robert Mallow and Gary Cammack favored the transfer. Alan Aker and Doreen Allison-Creed cast dissenting votes.
Aker said he opposed the licenses because some of the land encompassed in the use area is classified as agricultural. He cited the conflicts of commercial use in a designated agriculture setting at an earlier meeting.
"I had some people support the position I gave last time," Aker added. "Nobody tried to change my mind."
Aker earlier this month also expressed concern that the alcohol licenses covered 492 acres. He said he reconsidered and decided that approved applicants should be able to determine their business operations and that an entire property should be considered licensed as a bar.
Cammack said that the business already exists, and it does the same thing every year. He said that made the process straightforward for him.
"We were considering a transfer of a license," Cammack said, explaining his vote. "The considerations are character and location."
County personnel conducted background checks and did not report anything that merited blocking the new applicants from taking over the operation, he said.
Michelle Lamphere manages Glencoe's bar operation and said the food stand, pavilion and nearby patio will serve as on-site sale points. She said that an internal security and management plan will be implemented, and customer identifications will be checked.
In a separate application, the commission granted the retail on-off sale malt beverage application for Daly LLC & Hide Away Lounge near Sturgis.
Action on the license was tabled earlier this month because the business had not paid county property taxes. Auditor Lisa Schieffer said the taxes were paid June 8.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/06/18/news/local/doc4a39ce42aa044398015452.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv
Monday, June 15, 2009
Action Needed: To Protect the San Francisco Peaks and Indigenous way of life
For more info please contact Shawn Mulford at shawn@obtpd.org
June 15, 2009
Everyone that honors the Earth,
Thank-you for your previous support to protect the San Francisco Peaks from contamination with treated sewage effluent (reclaimed wastewater). Your action along with thousands of others was felt by the US Forest Service. We would like to ask the indigenous people, environmentalist, skiers, snowboarders and all those that would like to pass on this beautiful mountain to our next generation without being contaminated or destroyed to take the time to send the following letter to President Obama and his administration. Time is of the essence so please submit the letter as soon as you get it. We also ask that you forward this message to everyone on your contact list. Thank you for your continued support on this effort to protect this sacred mountain.
Click on the following link: www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
Fill in your information in the required fields
Subject field select “Other”
Copy and paste the letter below in the Message field
Then Submit
_________________________________________________
Letter to the President for Protection of Indigenous Sacred and Holy Areas
In your recent campaign and acceptance speeches, you have committed to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples of this land. You have committed to addressing the sad history of persecution and oppression of Indigenous peoples and to protect and uphold their sovereign status, their holy and sacred areas, and their spiritual way of life.
In the area of protecting the Earth, you have recently made bold decisions on the issue of our Earth’s daunting challenges of global climate change (e.g., 80% CO2 reduction by 2050). Indigenous peoples have been witnessing and experiencing the impacts of climate change for decades and have persistently called for more aggressive actions. We are concerned that only certain aspects of this massive problem we are all facing – the desecration of the Earth, its resources and subsequently its people—are being addressed. We know that all of Earth’s resources, inhabitants and sacred landscapes are interconnected and cannot be dealt with piece by piece.
Your desire for the United States to lead the world’s effort to find workable technologies to offset the challenges and impacts of climate change is encouraging. To be true to this message that seeks to honor the Earth and those that honor the Earth, we ask that you overturn policies of the last Administration that would allow the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks), an indigenous holy and sacred mountain located in what is now northern Arizona. At present, a private company, supported by the previous Administration supports the clearing, grading and use of 1.5 million gallons of treated sewage effluent per day on federal land for recreational purposes. The treated sewage effluent would be used to make snow for recreation on this sacred mountain. Such behavior is intolerable to the indigenous way of life and the natural environment. We can not allow another beautiful natural resource to be destroyed for the next generation.
Thus, to honor and fulfill your commitment to Indigenous peoples of this land, we urge you to:
Do not let the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid continue. We urge you to have the U.S. Attorney General through the Office of Solicitor General to file a brief on behalf of the United States supporting the Indigenous Nations and individual Citizens’ efforts to protect Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and the Indigenous way of life. Taking the lead and standing with the Indigenous Peoples will result in a cleaner and healthier environment while promoting sustainability. We need you to take bold action and demonstrate your commitment to move from a sad history to a promising future not only for the environment but also the Indigenous Peoples.
Immediately stop all activities that would desecrate and destroy Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and other holy and sacred areas. Work to amend the special use permit issued by the USDA Forest Service to include measures that protect and strengthen support of traditional, cultural, and ceremonial rites and practices of the Indigenous way of life and the natural environment. The Dook’o’oosliid mountain and its forest have recently been stressed by pine bark beetles widely known to be caused by climate change. Unnecessary activities that further stress this critical and important environment must be stopped.
Meet with Tribal Leaders and Indigenous Spiritual Leaders at the White House to facilitate a fair resolution relating to the governments action on federal lands that will adversely affect access to, ceremonial use of, and physical integrity of Dook’o’oosliid and other sacred and holy places. This White House meeting would fulfill your commitment to having annual meetings with Indigenous peoples. Stopping the desecration of sacred places such as Dook’o’oosliid would go a long way to building trust and strengthening this relationship.
Place individuals in leadership roles at the federal level who are committed to addressing the challenges brought on by global climate change. This global battle against climate change and protection of the environment, including preserving natural snow, must be placed above the U.S. Forest Service’s multi-use policy and the federal government’s interest in profitability of any privately-owned company’s commercial interest on federal lands, especially when these actions are detrimental to the Earth and our future.
Respectfully,
June 15, 2009
Everyone that honors the Earth,
Thank-you for your previous support to protect the San Francisco Peaks from contamination with treated sewage effluent (reclaimed wastewater). Your action along with thousands of others was felt by the US Forest Service. We would like to ask the indigenous people, environmentalist, skiers, snowboarders and all those that would like to pass on this beautiful mountain to our next generation without being contaminated or destroyed to take the time to send the following letter to President Obama and his administration. Time is of the essence so please submit the letter as soon as you get it. We also ask that you forward this message to everyone on your contact list. Thank you for your continued support on this effort to protect this sacred mountain.
Click on the following link: www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
Fill in your information in the required fields
Subject field select “Other”
Copy and paste the letter below in the Message field
Then Submit
_________________________________________________
Letter to the President for Protection of Indigenous Sacred and Holy Areas
In your recent campaign and acceptance speeches, you have committed to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples of this land. You have committed to addressing the sad history of persecution and oppression of Indigenous peoples and to protect and uphold their sovereign status, their holy and sacred areas, and their spiritual way of life.
In the area of protecting the Earth, you have recently made bold decisions on the issue of our Earth’s daunting challenges of global climate change (e.g., 80% CO2 reduction by 2050). Indigenous peoples have been witnessing and experiencing the impacts of climate change for decades and have persistently called for more aggressive actions. We are concerned that only certain aspects of this massive problem we are all facing – the desecration of the Earth, its resources and subsequently its people—are being addressed. We know that all of Earth’s resources, inhabitants and sacred landscapes are interconnected and cannot be dealt with piece by piece.
Your desire for the United States to lead the world’s effort to find workable technologies to offset the challenges and impacts of climate change is encouraging. To be true to this message that seeks to honor the Earth and those that honor the Earth, we ask that you overturn policies of the last Administration that would allow the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks), an indigenous holy and sacred mountain located in what is now northern Arizona. At present, a private company, supported by the previous Administration supports the clearing, grading and use of 1.5 million gallons of treated sewage effluent per day on federal land for recreational purposes. The treated sewage effluent would be used to make snow for recreation on this sacred mountain. Such behavior is intolerable to the indigenous way of life and the natural environment. We can not allow another beautiful natural resource to be destroyed for the next generation.
Thus, to honor and fulfill your commitment to Indigenous peoples of this land, we urge you to:
Do not let the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid continue. We urge you to have the U.S. Attorney General through the Office of Solicitor General to file a brief on behalf of the United States supporting the Indigenous Nations and individual Citizens’ efforts to protect Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and the Indigenous way of life. Taking the lead and standing with the Indigenous Peoples will result in a cleaner and healthier environment while promoting sustainability. We need you to take bold action and demonstrate your commitment to move from a sad history to a promising future not only for the environment but also the Indigenous Peoples.
Immediately stop all activities that would desecrate and destroy Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and other holy and sacred areas. Work to amend the special use permit issued by the USDA Forest Service to include measures that protect and strengthen support of traditional, cultural, and ceremonial rites and practices of the Indigenous way of life and the natural environment. The Dook’o’oosliid mountain and its forest have recently been stressed by pine bark beetles widely known to be caused by climate change. Unnecessary activities that further stress this critical and important environment must be stopped.
Meet with Tribal Leaders and Indigenous Spiritual Leaders at the White House to facilitate a fair resolution relating to the governments action on federal lands that will adversely affect access to, ceremonial use of, and physical integrity of Dook’o’oosliid and other sacred and holy places. This White House meeting would fulfill your commitment to having annual meetings with Indigenous peoples. Stopping the desecration of sacred places such as Dook’o’oosliid would go a long way to building trust and strengthening this relationship.
Place individuals in leadership roles at the federal level who are committed to addressing the challenges brought on by global climate change. This global battle against climate change and protection of the environment, including preserving natural snow, must be placed above the U.S. Forest Service’s multi-use policy and the federal government’s interest in profitability of any privately-owned company’s commercial interest on federal lands, especially when these actions are detrimental to the Earth and our future.
Respectfully,
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