American Notes

From the air, the Indian burial ground by the Ohio River in Union County, Kentucky, looks as if it has been ravaged by giant groundhogs. But the culprits responsible for digging 400 holes are a more predatory species. Artifact hunters tore up the gravesites late last year to excavate tomahawks, medicine pipes and other antiquities worth hundreds of dollars apiece. Last week in Morganfield, Ky., ten men were charged with overturning 1,200 graves dating back to the 15th century.

The ravaging may be the worst sacrilege ever committed against an Indian site in the U.S. "It was total devastation," says Indian Activist Dennis Banks. "There were bones strewn all over the place." If convicted, the grave robbers face maximum penalties of just $500 and a one-year jail term for "desecration of a sacred object."