City Accused of Hiding Significance of Bones : Religion: Angry Chumash say Thousand Oaks violated state law when remains were found in an area planned for use as a public park.

Angry Native Americans accused Thousand Oaks city and park officials Friday of hiding the significance of human remains found on Lang Ranch to ensure that a neighborhood park is built there.

At a meeting late Thursday, city officials told a group of Native Americans that the city had re-evaluated the importance of bone fragments and beads found on the eight-acre site and determined they were not part of a Chumash cemetery.

An archeologist hired by the city said Friday, however, that he found strong indications four years ago that the site was a burial ground, but no more bones were discovered because Conejo Recreation and Park District officials asked him at that time to halt his investigation.

The city’s claim that no burial site exists could clear the way for a public park, officials said. If the park is not built, the land would be returned to Lang Ranch developers.

The city’s ruling this week infuriated local Chumash, who also charged that the city violated state law by not notifying state heritage officials and the coroner when the skull and bone fragments were discovered in 1990.

“Either they should cancel any plans to put baseball diamonds and soccer fields on that site, or they should do a completely new investigation of the site,” said Paul Varela, director of the Native American Interpretive Center in Thousand Oaks.

“What’s clear to me is that we have been misled by the city in order for them to build their park without anyone complaining,” he said. “I can’t find the words to express how angry I am about it.”

Neither planner Greg Smith, the city’s representative at Thursday’s meeting, nor Tex Ward, the park district’s general manager, could be reached for comment Friday. Other park officials would not comment on the dispute.

But Thousand Oaks City Atty. Mark Sellers said the city has acted properly in investigating the significance of the bone fragments.

“Whether or not it is a burial site, the site is going to be a park,” Sellers said. “And the city has no say in how the land will be used. That’s up to the park district to decide.”

Sellers said the fact the land will be a park does not mean it has to be incompatible with use as a burial site.

“It may just require some further investigation to see if there’s a way to satisfy everyone’s needs,” Sellers said.

Councilman Frank Schillo said he was surprised by the city’s new position, and he said he will ask for an investigation to see if city staff members did anything wrong.

“I think this is a matter of significant interest that the City Council look into it,” Schillo said. “I will take the initiative to do that on Monday.”

Schillo attended an August meeting where Smith told a group of Chumash that bone fragments had been found on the site.

After learning of the find, Native Americans informed Ward that they did not want visitors roasting hot dogs where their ancestors are buried.

Ward was adamant that he needed the park site because it would be the only one set aside for recreation for 5,000 families expected to live in the Lang Ranch project.

Beverly Folkes, a Chumash who attended Thursday’s meeting, said local officials wanted a park so badly that they downplayed the bone fragments.

“It just seemed like they wanted to stretch the truth,” Folkes said. “They kept saying to us, ‘You know that if Park and Rec doesn’t develop the land, Lang Ranch will come in and build houses on it.’ ”

Park officials said they had no firm plans for equipping the park, but such a site typically includes a cement basketball court, picnic tables, baseball backstops and playground space.

That, according to the local Chumash, would be unacceptable.

“We simply will not let them do that,” said Leo Valenzuela, chairman of the Oakbrook Park Chumash Indian Corp. “We cannot have kids playing baseball on our ancestors’ graves.”

The other issue that troubles Schillo and area Native Americans is the allegation that the archeologist hired by the city, the Chumash monitor and city officials all failed to notify the coroner or the state Native American Heritage Commission when the bones were discovered four years ago.

Heritage Commission officials in Sacramento and county Deputy Coroner Jim Wingate said Friday their offices have no record of the Lang Ranch find.

Sellers said city officials made no call to the coroner on the advice of the Native American monitors the city hired to ensure that burial grounds are not destroyed. He said city officials did not think it was necessary to call the coroner because the bones were “so obviously ancient.”

But a Heritage Commission official said such notification is mandatory.

“The law is very clear that if even the smallest bone fragment is found the coroner should be called immediately,” said Larry Myers, the Heritage Commission’s executive secretary. “It’s important not only because the bones could be recent, but because we can record the location of the finding.”

Archeologist William Clewlow, who studied the Lang Ranch site, said he should have called the coroner but did not.

“My recollection is that everyone wanted to be quiet about it so that the site did not get publicized,” Clewlow said. “I suppose, if anyone was responsible for calling the coroner it probably was me.”

Clewlow said his investigation turned up significant evidence of a cemetery, including the bone fragments, increased numbers of beads and quartz crystals and soil of a quality consistent with that of a burial site.

The site was similar to numerous other Chumash cemeteries he has encountered, he said.

But once the fragments were found, no further excavation was done because he and Chumash monitor Richard Angulo were told by Park District officials that the land would be a passive park.

“They told us there was no need to go further because of the way the land would be used, and everyone agreed,” Clewlow said. “If nothing was going to be built, any further work would have just done more damage to the sanctity of the area.”

Angulo reburied the remains in 1990, and the whole site was covered with six feet of dirt.

Beverly Folkes said she hopes the site will be left in peace.

“I want them to leave it alone, but if they insist on pursuing their park, I think the city should re-investigate the site,” Folkes said. “It’s the only way we’re going to be able to put this to rest.”