Over 700 ancestral remains not buried

There are at least over 700 ancestral remains that have been extracted from different locations in the CNMI that have yet to be reburied, according to Indigenous Affairs Office resident director Roman Tudela.

According to Tudela in a recent interview, there is a procedure that the Historic Preservation Office would have to follow as they go about the burial of the remains. HPO would initially have to have an archeologist look at the remains and, from there, get the go-signal if the remains are ready to be re-buried. Until then, the remains would have to be kept in a secure and well-maintained area until HPO receives funding.

“We want to make sure that this won’t be thrown aside and forgotten about,” said Tudela.

Tudela also stated that the HPO makes the final decision on how the remains will be re-buried. They are still deciding whether they will be “cultural” and have the remains wrapped in a garment or coconut leaves.

The decision is up in the air since there are a lot of things to consider.