Human remains found at Trail of Tears

Human remains recently were discovered at Trail of Tears State Park, and it's almost certain they're Native American, said Capt. David James of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department.

The department, along with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other law-enforcement agencies, was called about two weeks ago when a family found what appeared to be a jaw bone along the Sheppard Point Trail, he said.

A mother and father were hiking the trail with their children when their son spotted the bone in some leaves near a bench on which they were resting.

A mole had been burrowing near the bench, which is probably why the bone was so close to the surface, someone from the sheriff's department said.

Other bones soon were found.

James said he heard the remains might have been part of an Indian group called the Wolf People.

Meanwhile, the trail is closed until further notice, according to mostateparks.com. That may be because the area is being studied to determine whether the remains are part of a larger burial ground, although no one would confirm that directly.

Jennifer Bengtson, an assistant professor of anthropology at Southeast Missouri State University who was called in to study the remains and confirmed their likely origins, declined to comment for this story because of the cultural sensitivity associated with American Indian resting places.

"Native American tribes have a deep concern for the protection of their heritage, and as a professional archaeologist, I share their concerns," she wrote in an email to the Southeast Missourian.

Denise Dowling, natural resource manager at the park, referred all questions to state Department of Parks spokeswoman Steph Deidrick, who also declined to comment.

Deidrick did, however, cite a state statute governing the discovery of unmarked human remains.

It indicates whenever an unmarked human burial or human skeletal remains are reported to the state preservation officer, efforts have to be made to identify the remains, notify any descendants or find out whether the remains are part of a particular ethnic group. The group then would advise on how the remains should be disposed.

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act also plays a role. It protects the rights of tribes when physical and cultural remains are found.

ljones@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3652

Pertinent address:

Trail of Tears State Park, Jackson, Mo.