In the first letter written by the SandHill Band of Lenape and Cherokee Indians (SandHill) to the Teaneck Town Council (TTC), and the postings on the Internet of the problems with the TTC in addressing occurrences at the Historical Burial Ground in May of 2021, New Jersey State Governor Philip Murphy had been cc’d so that he would know what communications were being sent from the SandHill to the TTC. It was implied by the cc to the Governor that assistance by the State would possibly be needed in addressing the problems suddenly surrounding the sacred site.
There was also a rumor that the TTC had reached out to the State for assistance.
The SandHill have formally requested that New Jersey State Governor Philip Murphy send New Jersey State Attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal to Teaneck to investigate the series of possible bias actions/acts; the alleged separate acts of vandalism and trespassing, and the very real concern of contamination by illegal dumping by private citizen(s) that have resulted in the desecration of the Burial Ground on May 12, 2021, June 14/15 2021, and by the Teaneck Department of Public Works on June 27, 2021.
In the time period between May 12 to June 27, 202,1 the above alleged actions have caused a violation to the Meadowlands Trust Fund which was established to protect the sacred site environmentally and for perpetuity. Teaneck must now correct the actions done by a private citizen and must go to the expense of testing the soil for contamination and thus the potential of contamination to the Burial Ground; and the Township must restore the site to how it had been before the desecration occurred.
The dumping of debris onto what was once a driveway on the adjoining burial ground site, now requires the Department of Environmental Protection to get involved due to the DPW’s actions of dumping soil on part of the burial ground, thereby possibly contaminating the surrounding soil in an environmentally sensitive flood plain.
Within the letter written to Governor Murphy, the SandHill has requested that if the investigation shows that Teaneck can no longer seriously and quickly address the problems confronting the sacred Burial Ground and its care, that the Governor seize the site by eminent domain- thereby removing the care and preservation of the site from the Township of Teaneck.
Due to the actions of the citizens of Teaneck, the SandHill has reached out to the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas for possible assistance in guaranteeing the safety and preservation of the site.
Please click on the link below to read copy of the letter to Governor Murphy. Please scroll down today's press release and letter to Governor Murphy. If link does not work, please copy and paste.
If you have any questions: please write question in comments and our Government Liaison, Laura Zucker, will reply.
https://www.fana.global/teaneckindianburialgrounds