It is the belief of some Indians that Rattlesnake Island is a burial ground. Jim Hall wrote a letter in the Sept. 13 edition of the Record-Bee stating that the island is sacred ground.
I have not once read any argument on behalf of preserving the island, that it is a burial site.
Nor have I read that their argument is that it is sacred. I have read that they hope to find something buried there that will reveal something from their culture.
Is there any documentation anywhere that was written by Indian ancestors that states in a belief of this island being sacred ground?
I do not agree with the owner in the way he is trying to weasel out of conducting a more thorough search for long-lost artifacts.
He should fork over the money for the research. But at the same time, he does own the property and once the tests are done whether there are artifacts found or not, he should be able to build a home for himself on his property. The argument that the land belonged to the tribes is an irrelevant claim. If that claim held any merit, one could argue that no American property owner actually owns property or a home because all of America used to be Indian land. But we did not take it from them. Long-dead Americans took this land.
The best our government can do to compensate is what they have been doing by giving them taxpayer money and land to build casinos and reservations.
I believe this to be ample compensation seeing as how we are not the ones to have wronged them. But to give them property that someone else holds the title to is going too far.
Not letting the property owner build a home is the same thing as giving away his property because they are now allowing the Indians to decide what to do with this land, which is to leave it untouched. Everyone should ask themselves how they would feel if their property is next?
Misty Medvin
Lakeport
