Caltrans District 9 - stop the Highway 395 expansion from desecrating the Paiute– Shoshone Tribe’s ancestral burial sites!

We are asking CalTrans to halt Construction of the Olancha-Cartago 4-Lane Project that is currently underway around the southern edge of Patsiata (Owens Lake) until proper Tribal consultation has taken place.

This project has moved forward despite concerns and protests from local Tribes (Lone Pine, Kern Valley, Timbisha, Independence, Big Pine, Bishop, and Mono Lake). Despite planning this project for more than a decade, Caltrans has not conducted adequate consultation with the Tribes. There were attempts at consultation in 2014, but these talks never resulted in any significant changes to the project plans based on input from Tribal leaders.

Caltrans ignored warnings that the proposed route would disturb sacred burial areas, archeological sites and precious cultural resources.

Local Tribes historically lived near the shoreline of Patsiata (Owens Lake) for millennia, and many of our ancestors and family members are buried there, including some from recent generations. Tribal leaders asked Caltrans to reroute the project to avoid this area but were consistently told that there were no viable alternatives (dismissing ideas like expanding the existing route through Olancha).

Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Monitors are watching as sacred sites are desecrated and our family members are unearthed. Caltrans is not responding to the Tribes' calls for a halt to the project in order to consult and find a solution.

Caltrans' own Historical Preservation Plan says that if a Tribe asks for consultation, all construction will stop. Yet, CalTrans continues presenting jurisdictional and legal complications to argue that the rules do not apply. For example, a Caltrans representative recently claimed that the Native American Graves Protection Act only applies to remains at curated sites when in fact it also applies to 'inadvertent discoveries.'

We are calling upon CalTrans to conduct proper Tribal consultation and produce a solution that is agreed upon by all sides. Please sign our petition and support our efforts to prevent further desecration of our ancestors' burial sites.

Please take the time to write an email to the contacts listed below AND those in your circle of influence, share the attached fact sheet and let them know that you are in opposition to the HWY 395 road expansion, without complete Tribal consultation and consent.

Demand that they STOP desecrating sacred burial sites and destroying cultural history.

1. Governor Gavin Newsom: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact Tel: (916) 445-2841

2. Shawn Oliver, Federal Highway Administration, Senior Environmental Specialist. Shawn.Oliver@dot.gov

3.Christina MacDonald,Senior Archaeologist and Native American Coordinator. Caltrans District 9 christina.macdonald@dot.ca.gov
Tel: (442) 359-9498