http://ipraudio.interlochen.org/2011-11-11%20Mackinac%20Burial.mp3
A burial site discovered last week on Mackinac Island continues to be excavated. Representatives of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians say the remains are from their ancestors and they plan to rebury them.
Multiple intact skeletons were uncovered Monday, but a representative from the tribe says only fragments have been found since. Most of the soil removed has not yet been examined.
The property where the bones were found was previously a Catholic cemetery. The nearby church and cemetery were relocated in the 19th century. It is believed the bones found this week belong to Native Americans who were buried on the periphery of the cemetery in unmarked graves. The bodies were found in an east-west orientation and did not have any metal crosses buried, details that could support the idea that they were of Native American ancestry. A representative from the Sault Tribe hopes they can rebury the remains before winter.
The property is being dug up to make way for a new hotel.