Sacred Fossils

[erik@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Erik Pauls)]

A couple of years ago I asked the dinosaur-list (before it became a
newsgroup) for experiences involving either Native American cosmology and
mythology regarding fossils, or digs with concerns about sacred sites. I
received only a couple messages, both reporting no problems and no other
information. I found this silence mildly surprising because this was the
same time that Sue, the T. rex, (or did they name it after the D.A.?) was
in the news. Two reservations, the Black Hills Institute, and the feds
battled in court over the bones. I did not see any coverage of the Native
perspective beyond property claims.

Although the entire landscape is sacred for most Indians, some areas are
more sacred than others, such as the Black Hills. However, artifacts,
remains, and cultural landscapes seem to be separate from their physical
setting-at least enough that paleontological excavations generate little to
no controversy. I am still interested in hearing any experiences along
these lines. Has anyone actively sought out local indigenous people in a
research area, either for permissions or as crew?

The only Native American fossil mythology I know of comes from the
Mandan-Hidatsa of the Missouri trench area of North Dakota. They attribute
large fossil bones as the remains of ancient earth-burrowing snakes. [A
side note; this is a topic that the Hidatsa will speak about only during
the winter, when the modern snakes are sleeping.]

Erik

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Cretaceous liability: Tyrannosaurus wrecks.
Desmostylus: one weird mammal.

Erik Pauls
erik@uclink.berkeley.edu