HAFA Adai Director/SHPO Rita Chong-Dela Cruz!
This is to once again humbly request your assistance to please forward the requested documents from my email requests of July 25th, August 2nd, and August 10th addressed to both you and the HPO staff archaeologist Ben Guzman for the GPPC project on Beach Road from Chalan Piao, Chalan Kanoa, Susupe, San Jose, Chalan Laulau all the way to Garapan that’s ongoing as of this date.
We also need a copy of the Project Plan Proposal of the scope of work prior to the issuance of the permit conditions to CRM/BECQ.
In the meantime, can you please provide us with the archaeological documents for the two FEMA projects, HPO Permit, End of Fieldwork Report, Draft and Final Reports for the two ancient Chamorros that you will be reburying on Friday, August 18, 2023.
It is disturbing that you did not inform us, at the least, as a courtesy to Matua Council that you are coordinating a “reburial” event for August 18, 2023. This is very disheartening that this is the same treatment to Matua Council three years ago for the reburial/re-interment of the 800 Taotao Anaguan from the archaeological digging of the 2,000 years old Chamoro settlement and burial site by Scientific Consultants Services contractor of the Best Sunshine Grand Mariana Casino and Imperial Pacific International Resort.
Similarly, this is the same treatment on the reburial event of the 30 plus Chamorro at the Surfrider Resort Hotel & Surf Club Restaurant in Chalan Kanoa, District 4 or our traditional Chamorro village of “i Sengsong Araihao.”
It is truly unfortunate that we had to find this reburial information from second and third sources such as Facebook when we were and still are actively communicating since July 17, 2023 and weekly thereafter following up on the status of our requests for production of documents. This is unprofessional and bad faith on your part as a SHPO, and as a required appointment by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Secretarial Order.
Incidentally, both the reinterment events happened exactly three years ago — the 36 Chamorros on August 16 at Surfrider, and the 800 Chamorros on August 20, 2020 at BSI/IPI.
As the HPO and SHPO you are the assigned caretaker and safekeeper of our Chamorro ancestors’ human remains as well as their funerary objects, patrimony and artifacts. And as lineal and cultural descendants of these ancestors, we deserve better treatment as the only indigenous organization who are advocating for justice on the treatment of our Chamorro ancestors’ sacred remains and artifacts for over one decade.
Again, you are well aware that time is of the essence, we need to see these FEMA project HPO documents as soon as possible and before August 18, 2023. We urge your immediate attention, response and cooperation to allow us time to review the required documents to pace up with HPO’s fast-tracked reburial events.
Sincerely,
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LIANA M.S. HOFSCHNEIDER
President
Matua Council for Native Chamorro Advancement