Witte Museum- Give Back Our Ancestors

I recently attended a protest against the Witte Museum, an institution that has been around San Antonio since 1926. They had obtain a collection of Native American remains in 1928 from Seminole Canyon located near Del Rio, TX. These bones have been in dry storage for years until a St. Mary's Native American Student Association member photographed the remains during a pow wow held by United San Antonio Pow Wow Organization at the Witte. A plan of action was instituted, and we are now asking the Witte out of common courtesy to give the bones back over to the Native community for reburial.

The argument that the Witte has given our community is that the bones are not related to any of the Texas Indians tribes, because they were here long before any tribe developed in this state. The validity of this argument is ludicrous at best, and completely out of context with regards to common sense. One would never say such statements regarding their own heritage, then why make inflammatory remarks against any Native group? If we would go digging up the Museum employees' Great Great Grandparents stating we are doing so in the name of scientific research, we would be locked up for grave robbing- not to mention having to give the remains back for reburial at our expense. Not only do they claim their crime was done in the name of science, but they use the very laws that were enacted to protect our burial grounds from being exploited on our people. For any group to get back the bones, a Federally Recognized Tribe must lay claim to the remains and prove a connection to them. I wish that was true to the money the Federal Government asks from us in the lieu of Income Taxes- at least that's what I think.

The Witte, just like the Bureau of Indian Affairs, keeps using the laws to circumvent their treachery against the Native people and will keep dong it until the Federal Government steps up and actually enforces their own laws and treaties that they themselves have broken by deceitful means. So to be courteous to the Texas Native community- do the right thing Witte and give the remains back without spewing legal doubletalk.