EOU SHOWS RESPECT AND SENSITIVITY IN COVERING INLOW BONES

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Skeletons buried up to 141 years ago in what was once a pioneer cemetery have long been a concern at Eastern Oregon University and in the surrounding community. Now the university has taken action to address the problem in a sensitive manner.

First, some history: EOU’s Inlow Hall, the first building on a campus that opened in 1929, was built on top of part of a pioneer cemetery. The hilltop campus that has inspired generations of scholars was La Grande’s main burial site from 1864 to 1878. Then Grandview Cemetery was established. Still, the pioneer cemetery continued to operate until just before Eastern opened for business at the start of the Great Depression.

For years, the idea that exposed skeletons were to be found in the crawl space below an operating EOU building caused understandable dismay. Finally, the current administration decided enough was enough and chose to deal with the problem. They showed sensitivity to the issue by not steamrolling ahead. Instead, using due deliberation, they held several meetings to gather input from various entities including local tribes before deciding what plan of action would be most appropriate.

The project that ensued proved not only the value of getting input from all sides before taking action, but also of cooperation. Among those involved was Blue Mountain Consulting: Archeology and Public History. EOU hired the company to map the burial site, evaluate cultural artifacts and place fill dirt over the skeletons. Richard Galloway of Baker City was hired to document the site with photographs. Laura Mahrt, an associate professor of biology at EOU, assisted in making the project a success. Altogether the crew found five exposed burial sites, and after fill dirt was in place, concrete caps were placed over the remains. It was hot, dirty, dangerous work, as crews donned hazardous-materials suits to protect themselves from asbestos.

An unnecessary distraction to the learning environment at EOU has been taken care of in a sensitive manner. The administration is to be commended for dealing with the problem and showing the dead and their living descendants proper respect.

Editorials in this column are the opinion of The Observer’s editorial board. The board is comprised of Ron Horton, publisher; Ted Kramer, editor; Jeff Petersen, news editor; and Bill Rautenstrauch, business editor. Letters from readers, signed columns on this page and cartoons represent the opinions of the writer/artist and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editorial board.