Puvungna’s
fate uncertain, Senate proposal made
By Rachel Furlong
Online Forty-Niner
Copy Editor
With President Robert C. Maxson gone, so too is his promise to preserve the Indian
burial grounds on campus. Now, the fate of the Indian burial ground, also known
as Puvungna, is in the hands of the new Cal State Long Beach President F. King
Alexander. He will have to choose whether to continue preserving the land like
the previous administration, or to use it for new campus facilities.
Puvungna was an Indian village once located on the area that is now the western
edge of CSULB. Historical evidence shows the Tongva Indians formed the village
of Puvungna around A.D. 500.
In 1972, campus workmen uncovered the remains of an Indian body on the area,
which was placed in the college’s archaeology lab. After a few years, the
site where the remains were found was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places in order to preserve the site, which had become a ceremonial site and
place of worship for many local Indian tribes, According to the Puvungna Web
site.
Indian students struggled with California State University officials for years,
and finally in 1979 they were allowed to rebury the remains on the site, the
Web site states.
After that, everything was quiet until officials came up with a plan to develop
the site in 1992. The first phase of the plan was to replace the Organic Gardens
with a temporary parking lot. The Puvungna Web site said when the gardeners heard
of this they formed a committee to protest the development and gained the support
of thousands of people around the community.
Despite the widespread support to preserve the land, officials would not budge,
said Eugene Ruyle, CSULB emeritus professor of archaeology and longtime supporter
of the preservation of Puvungna.
They filed a report that stated there would be no negative effect from building
the parking lot. State law required this report to be filed before the parking
lot could be built. The declaration stated there were “no cultural resources
on the site.”
What followed was a battle between officials and those who wanted to preserve
the land, which was in full force when Maxson came into office in 1994.
“
When he arrived, there was a huge conflict there, there was a standoff between
campus officials and the Indians who were having a spiritual vigil on
the land,” Ruyle said.
In response to the Indian’s prayer vigil to protect the land, Ruyle said
officials threatened to have them arrested, after which the American Civil Liberties
Union was brought into the case. The ACLU obtained a court order prohibiting
any development on the land pending a court decision.
Maxson announced he would preserve the land, and prevent any construction there
as long as he was in office.
“
President Maxson made a two-part promise,” Ruyle said. “The first
part was that he would not allow any development on the site, which is good.
But the second part was that he not would not prevent a later president from
doing so.”
Rick Gloady, CSULB’s media relations director, said Alexander is still
studying the situation.
The Associated Students Senate will consider a resolution this year written by
Sen. Elisa Herrera, College of Education, which asked that plans for development
or construction on the land be abandoned and for Puvungna to be protected as
part of the campus.
ASI Vice President Hiro Okahana said he neither supports nor opposes preserving
Puvungna at this time.
“
There is a lot of missing information,” Okahana said. “Until everyone
gets all the accurate information, we don’t really have a course
of action.”
Since Maxson’s promise to preserve the land, Puvungna has been the venue
for various Indian ceremonies, including the annual Pilgrimage Honoring Our Ancestors,
occuring every October.
“
President Maxson played a very positive role in our effort to preserve
Puvungna,” Ruyle said. “Hopefully President Alexander will do the
same.”
Alexander will speak on the matter at the Senate meeting today at 3:30 p.m. in
USU 217.
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