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DocuSign Envelope ID:53CA2670-1A7A-49EB-ABCA-467F7D1A0E90 <br /> RECEIVED <br /> M MINNeSOTA <br /> INDIAN AFFAIRS COUNCIL AUG 29 2022 <br /> 101 Sal tnt AvIthotn, Avevtiue Ste._91j st u L, N 55103 <br /> August 22, 2022 CITY OF ORONO <br /> Michael O. Freeman <br /> Hennepin County Attorney <br /> C-2000 Government Center <br /> 300 South Sixth Street <br /> Minneapolis, Minnesota 55487 <br /> Dear Mr. Freeman, <br /> The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council(MIAC) is a state agency that is tasked with protecting and <br /> preserving American Indian burials located on both public and private property in Minnesota <br /> pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 307.08. <br /> On June 29th, 2022, Metropolitan Council personnel gave a tour to MIAC Cultural Resource <br /> Specialist Dylan Goetsch, Minnesota State Archaeologist Amanda Gronhovd, and several Tribal <br /> Historic Preservation Officers of particular sites near Lake Minnetonka where the Met Council <br /> will be carrying out utility work near known American Indian burials and burial grounds. Upon <br /> visiting a location in Orono where the Met Council will be doing future work in the road and right- <br /> of-way, the State Archaeologist and MIAC staff saw that at least two trees had recently been <br /> planted into a burial mound located on an adjacent private property at 1487/1489 Shoreline Drive. <br /> This was done without permission from MIAC or the State Archaeologist and is a serious crime <br /> under state law. <br /> Upon seeing these trees adjacent to where the group were meeting,the State Archaeologist entered <br /> the property pursuant to her authority under Minn. Stat. § 307.08, subd. 12, to determine whether <br /> these trees were planted into the burial mound. The property owner,who MIAC understands to be <br /> Ms. Sanders, came out and confronted the state officials. She asserted that her property did not <br /> contain a burial mound and that she had followed the proper procedures to gain legal authority to <br /> plant the trees. <br /> State burial files make it clear that Ms. Sanders is incorrect: mound number 7 from the Halpin - <br /> Starvation Point mound group is located on her property.Contrary to the claims Ms. Sanders made <br /> to the state officials observing the site on June 29th,there is no record in the burial files that anyone <br /> has secured permission from the State Archaeologist or MIAC under section 307.08, subdivision <br />