Fri 16 Apr 2021 17.00 EDT
Last modified on Fri 16 Apr 2021 17.01 EDT
A Guam senator has launched an investigation into a US military base being built on the island after ancient human remains, as well as ovens, tools and pottery from an ancient village were found at the proposed site.
Senator Telena Nelson, chairman of the legislative committee on historic preservation, is launching an inquiry into the construction of US Marine Corps Camp Blaz in the village of Dededo in northern Guam.
This week the committee held a community roundtable and an oversight hearing to look into the status of burial sites and human remains at Camp Blaz.
The Legislature s oversight and roundtable hearings with the Guam State Historic Preservation Office were rescheduled to April 22, which will address the multiple ancient burials at Camp Blaz, protocols for human remains on base and more.
The oversight will be at 3:30 p.m. and entirely virtual. The roundtable will begin at 5 p.m. and allow both virtual and in-person participation at the Guam Congress Building.
The oversight and roundtable come after Pacific Daily News in March reported that there were numerous Latte period burials at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, and that neither the preservation office nor military were sharing much information.
Community vigil held to honor ancestors
By Jerick Sablan
Community organization Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian hosted a community vigil and ceremony to honor CHamoru ancestors whose remains were disturbed at the new Marine Corps base.
Babies, manamko , youths and others gathered at the Ritidian Overlook Saturday for the vigil. The event included prayers and chants to honor CHamoru ancestors and a healing circle. As the sun went down, participants lit candles and the overlook was filled with candlelight. In the wake of the clearings of entire CHamoru villages that hold the sacred burials of our ancestors, our community must come together to heal from the violence, the group stated.
The event follows reports that there are at least 12 ancient burials at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. Little information was shared by the military, the Guam State Historic Preservation Office or the governor s office, although all entities have known for months about the site.
Multiple inquiries were sent regarding the burials and some residents are concerned with the lack of transparency. A University of Guam archeologist stated knowledge of the burials, along with other discoveries made through the course of Marine Corps-related construction, entirely reshape the known history of the island s northern plateau.
Speaker Therese Terlaje called the secrecy disgusting.
Still no information on multiple ancient burials at Camp Blaz
Anumita Kaur
Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, when contacted last month for a report on the issue, stated: Given the ongoing nature of work, we defer to the (State Historic Preservation Office) to deem it appropriate to publicly release preliminary information.
The Vigilance Committee and Sen. Telena Nelson s office sent records requests to the preservation office last month after the Pacific Daily News reported there are more ancient burials at the new Marine Corps base under construction in Dededo. Nelson chairs the Guam Legislature s committee overseeing preservation.
The office rejected both requests, citing the National Historic Preservation Act 54 U.S.C. §307103 and said the Department of Defense made the determination the information cannot be disclosed.