(TheIndependentStar.com) – In a puzzling turn of events, people harvesting wild rice from Minnesota’s third-largest lake recently discovered human skeletal remains, which are believed to be several hundred years old.
Authorities suspected that erosion revealed the remains of at least three individuals along the shores of Leech Lake, where they were found last weekend.
Leech Lake, covering more than 100,000 acres, is primarily located within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in north-central Minnesota.
The tribe’s police chief, Ken Washington, said that the area has been home to several tribes, most recently the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. He noted that finding remains in the area is not uncommon.
“They’ll just arise like that just through natural erosion of the water coming up on shorelines,” he explained.
Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk mentioned that the rice harvesters called in after discovering the remains on land.
Moreover, Harvesters usually use canoes with push poles or paddles to collect the rice, which, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources, holds spiritual, cultural, nutritional, and economic significance for the Ojibwe, Dakota, and other tribal communities.
Deputies responded, determined the remains were ancient and contacted the Leech Lake Heritage Sites program, which conducts archaeological research in the area.
In addition, a joint statement from tribal and county law enforcement, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, was also brought in to help ensure the remains are handled in a “culturally appropriate manner. ”
In an interview, Welk mentioned that remains are sometimes unearthed by construction projects, in addition to natural erosion.
“It has happened a couple times a year, but then they can go several years in between,” Welk commented. “It just depends.”
Furthermore, authorities advised anyone who encounters suspected human remains to contact law enforcement and avoid disturbing the area.
“In doing so, this ensures vital evidence is preserved, along with being respectful of those who were here before us,” the statement emphasized.
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