After rebuke, EWU loses contract for city archaeological work

Eastern Washington University will no longer perform archaeological work for the city of Spokane.

After a passionate plea from the Spokane Tribe of Indians, the Spokane City Council voted this week against a city staff recommendation to approve a $250,000 contract with the university for archaeological investigations and digs required before construction projects can begin. The city chose a Montana company to do the work instead.

“You sit atop the remains of the tribe’s ancestors. You sit amongst the tribe’s most sacred sites,” tribal attorney Scott Wheat told City Council members. “The tribe’s history, culture and resources significantly are impacted by actions taken by the caretaker you select.”

The tribe argued that Archaeological and Historical Services, a research unit of EWU’s geography and anthropology department, last year improperly released the location and details of an archaeological dig it conducted for the city at People’s Park. Tribal officials said EWU’s discussions with the press made the site vulnerable to treasure hunters.

In a written statement, Stan Gough, director of EWU’s program, disputed many of the tribe’s statements to the City Council.

“In January of this year the university offered in writing to discuss this matter with the Spokane Tribe of Indians and received no response,” Gough said. “AHS is very aware of the sensitive nature of the Spokane Tribe of Indians’ cultural heritage and has worked to preserve that heritage.”

The council was scheduled to vote on the contract at 3:30 p.m. Monday but delayed action to 6 p.m. to allow tribal officials to testify.

At the later meeting, the council voted 5-1 to give the contract to the second choice of city staff, Historical Research Associates Inc., of Missoula. Four groups, including the tribe, bid on the contract. The tribe was ranked as the fourth-best option.

EWU spokesman Dave Meany said the university was not informed that the item had been moved to allow testimony. The university has completed 14 archaeological projects for the city since 1991 and is working on three more.

“We just didn’t feel like we had any chance to even clarify things,” Meany said. “One of our other points of concern is that they would go with a private company out of state rather than staying with a local public university that the city has worked well with for years.”

Wheat accused EWU of holding a press conference about the People’s Park site.

But Gough said no one from the program ever held a press conference. He said he talked to the media only after informing the tribe, a point the tribe disputes. The reporter who covered the story for The Spokesman-Review confirmed that he initiated contact with Gough.

In the story about the People’s Park dig, Gough said archaeologists uncovered 60,000 artifacts. The work proved that human habitation at the site dates back 8,000 years. The city was required to do archaeological work at the site, which is near the confluence of Latah Creek and the Spokane River, before building overflow tanks for its sewerage system.

Wheat said Gough gave the exact soil depths of cultural resources, “effectively providing a road map for every grave robber and looter in the county.”

He cited state law that says results of archaeological studies on public lands are confidential.

“It is incomprehensible to the tribe that you would consider contracting with the very caretaker who already has disclosed the exact location of one of the tribe’s sacred sites,” Wheat said.

But City Councilman Bob Apple said the site was well known before anyone talked to the press and added that EWU’s work is highly recommended by the state. The location of the dig was discussed in open public meetings when the city considered hiring EWU for the People’s Park dig.

Apple argued that the city should have continued to have archaeological work done as needed instead of writing a contract that will guarantee one group all of the city’s work for the next two years.

“I’d rather take it on a case-by-case basis,” Apple said.

Councilwoman Mary Verner called Gough’s handling of information about the site “egregious.”

“We need to have caretakers who respect our shared heritage,” said Verner, who serves as executive director of the Upper Columbia United Tribes.

Tom Arnold, the city’s engineering services director, testified that EWU “provided an excellent service in terms of the archaeological work they did.”

EWU President Rodolfo Arevalo wrote in a letter to the tribe in January that when the press asked Gough for an interview, Gough contacted Randy Abrahamson, the tribal historic preservation officer and invited him to attend the interview.

Wheat told the council that Abrahamson has sworn “under penalty of perjury” that he was not contacted by EWU.

Tribal officials said they have a better working relationship with the council’s chosen firm, Historical Research Associates and were pleased with the change. They added that the tribe should have a significant say in how archaeological sites are handled within the city because tribal artifacts could be unearthed whenever the ground is moved.

“We specialize in our culture, and we’re not in it for the almighty buck,” Abrahamson told the council.