Minnesota Prehistory

Bloomington Ferry Site

On the river bluff overlooking the Minnesota River Valley in Hennepin County are hundreds of ancient Indian Burial Mounds. These mounds lie among custom built homes and office buildings. Just off of Old Shakopee Road are several of these mounds which lie in their natural state amongst manicured lawns. These mounds are protected by Minnesota State Statute number 307.08 which protects all burial grounds. The city of Bloomington decided to have the mounds which had been surveyed in the 1800's by Theodore Lewis investigated and remapped.

Minnesota has surveyed over 10,000 burial mounds and here may b e thousands which have not been discovered. The exact tally of mounds in the metro area alone is undetermined but there may be as many as 1,000. Most of these mounds are on privately owned land. They can be indistinct as a tiny rise in the ground or as high as a 8 foot earthen bank. The Bloomington Ferry Mound Group is located on a bluff above the Minnesota River Valley. Grant Goltz, a soil scientist who investigated and remapped the mounds for over a ten year period, defined the cemetery as a Late Woodland Indian cemetery. The cemetery is comprised of "at least 90 some" mounds and was first mapped in the late 19th century by Theodore Lewis. By taking measurements Goltz can locate the mounds which are no longer visible. The dark topsoil used to form burial mounds "never goes away". The thickness of various soil layers "and characteristics in the soil" can be used to locate where a mound stood.(1) The mounds were built about 1200 years ago and were in use up ;until 300-400 years ago. The tribal identity of the early mound builders is undetermined but "The general consensus is that they're ancestral to the (2) Grant Goltz has examined hundreds of Indian burial mounds in Minnesota under contract for state agencies and private developers. This project was to determine the exact location and condition of the mounds because the area was proposed for housing development. The mound centers were located from Lewis's notes with a compass and tape. Then soil coring was done to the extent required to verify the location and assess the condition of the mounds.(3) Siouan-speaking people," This society is "more likely" related to the Dakota people.

The city of Bloomington has monitored development in order to protect the Indian cemetery. If there is going to be development in the vicinity of the mound group, the mounds have to first be verified as actual burial mounds and then they come under the protection of the Private Cemeteries Act (Minnesota statute 307.08) which protects "all human burials or human skeletal remains" in public or private cemeteries of in an "authenticated and identified Indian burial ground." The statute provides that a person who "intentionally, willfully, and knowingly destroys, mutilates, injures, disturbs or removes human skeletal remains or human burial grounds, is guilty of a felony." The intent of the law is designed to protect the Indian burial sites. Digging them up is not in the spirit of the law and is not necessary to do. It is not necessary that there still be bones in the mounds to protect the Burial site. (4 )

When the mounds became slated for development, the director of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council was called in to determine what could or couldn't happen near the mounds. Christy Hohman-Caine served as the facilitator for the group. The standard procedure is to write up a management plan, which is incorporated into the zoning and planning restrictions for a property. The city of Bloomington sees that the presence of burial mounds is recorded in the deed to a property, so if the ownership changes hands, the new owners will be aware of the location of the Indian cemetery and its restrictions. Bloomington has a city ordinance which requires a study of any development that could affect a "prehistoric" or historical site. The builder must apply for a "Certificate of Appropriateness" for a construction project, and the city's Natural and Historical Resources Commission will make a decision on the planned "demolition, removal, or alteration of the site." After the commission makes its decision it must be approved by the Bloomington City Council before a building permit can be issued. (5)

The mounds are protected by law. They must be kept covered by "natural vegetation or the planting of low ground cover plants. No trees or large shrubs can be planted on the mounds, and mowing or cutting on the mounds is to be avoided. Each mound is protected by a buffer zone which extends in a 25 foot radius from the perimeter of the mound (6) Some mounds have been so damaged there is nothing left to destroy, if the mound still survives it may require the rerouting of sewer and water lines or a change in the actual building plans.

The mound centers were located from Lewis' notes and soil coring was done only to the extent required to verify the location and assess the condition of the mounds. This study was on mounds number 20 through 29. Each mound was verified and its condition was assessed. Mound 20, 65 feet in diameter and 4.5 feet high, was largely intact except for the removal of some mound fill on the northeast edge which was removed for the construction of a road. Mound 21, 20 feet in diameter and 1 foot high, is still intact with probable burial features below the mound fill also intact. Mound 22 , 38 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, is largely intact and visible. Mound 23, 40 feel in diameter and 2.5 feel high, has most of the mound fill in place. Mound 26, 34 feet in diameter and 3 feet high, the western two thirds is presently under a gravel driveway. The one third which was accessible shows only a trace of the original mound fill still present. Mound 27, 25 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, still has much of the mound fill present. The mound is not visible due to over filling the mound. Mound 28, 40 feet in diameter and 4 feet high is now located under a garage floor and poured concrete patio and no mound fill could be found. Mound 29, 27 feet in diameter and 2.5 feet high was not cored but only visibly examined because it is on adjacent property but appears to be intact and visible. (7)

Notes:

1. "Still Violating the Ancestors: Suit Seeks to Recover Burial Grounds." p. 3.

2. "4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Baths, Burial Mounds Can Grave Sites and" p. 2.

3. Goltz, Grant. Field Investigation Bloomington Ferry Mound Group. p.4.

4. " 4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Baths, Burial Mounds Can Grave Sites and " p.3.

5. Ibid. p.4.

6. Ibid. p. 1.

7. Goltz, Grant. Field Investigation Bloomington Ferry Mound Group. p.2-4.

Bibliography

"4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, Burial Mounds can Grave Sites and." The Circle, 10-31-1994. pp. PG."

Goltz, Grant. Field Investigations Mounds 20-29 Bloomington Ferry Mound Group. 21-HE-17, Section 31, T 116 N, R 21 W, Hennepin County, Minnesota. May 1988.

"Highways and Indian Cemeteries: MnDot Archaeology Comes Under Fire." Ethnic NewsWatch Softine Information, Inc. Stamford, CT.

"Lawsuit targets mound desecration at trailer park." /Ethnic NewsWatch Softline Information, Inc. Stamford, CT.

Minnesota State Statutes 1998. 307.08. Office of Reviser of Statutes, State of Minnesota.

Specktor, Mordecai. "Still Violating the Ancestors: Suit Seeks to Recover Burial Ground." "The Circle," Minneapolis.