As for the Effigy Mounds, the theft of ancestral remains wasn’t the only blemish at the monument, which is home to hundreds of tribal burial mounds, some in unique animal and other shapes. Following Munson’s departure, staff constructed walkways, damaged sacred sites and undertook other construction projects without consulting tribes or following federal historic preservation laws, according to documents obtained by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
After learning of the work, one tribal leader complained that staff turned their ancestral burial grounds into “places to walk your dog,” according to one document obtained by PEER.
