HUNTINGTON BEACH : Tribe Postpones Recommendations

Native American tribal leaders said Thursday that they won’t make recommendations for the disposition of what they believe to be remains of ancestors buried in the Bolsa Chica Wetlands until an investigation into an alleged death threat to an archeologist is completed.

Tribal leaders said this week that they are not involved in the recent threat reported by archeologist Nancy Whitney-Desautels, who unearthed what some believe to be ancient Native American bones in the area.

One leader said that the FBI had contacted him and told him agents would be questioning Native Americans concerning the threat allegations.

FBI Agent Gary Morley would not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation Friday, but he did say he was familiar with the threat report.

Koll Real Estate Group plans to build more than 4,000 homes in the area. The controversy about ancient remains in Bolsa Chica began last month, when opponents of the project leaked to the press an internal memo written by a forensic anthropologist hired by the Orange County coroner’s office to examine bones found at the site in 1992. In the memo, the bones were described as “very old, approximately 8,000 years.” Some of the bones were of human beings.

Project opponents were angered that no mention of the 1992 find was made in the county’s draft environmental impact report on the project, released late last year.

On Thursday, Native American leaders met with representatives of the Native American Heritage Commission, a state body that oversees matters dealing with Native Americans. One representative of the developer also attended the meeting in Irvine.

Gabrieleno Shoshone Chief Vera Rocha said Native Americans are being singled out in the death threat matter and that she won’t participate in any recommendations process until their names are cleared.

Jim Velasques, another Gabrieleno Shoshone chief, said in an interview this week that an FBI agent had contacted him and told him that the agency is planning to investigate the death threat report and that Native Americans are on the list to be interviewed.

Lucy Dunn, senior vice president of the Koll Real Estate Group, said Thursday’s decision by Native American leaders to delay burial recommendations will have no effect on the project.

Dunn said she was told by consultant Darlene Shelley, who attended the meeting, that Native Americans said they trusted the company and Whitney-Desautels to take good care of the remains until reburial with appropriate religious ceremony.