It is with renewed interest that we of the Nolumbeka Project Inc. have learned of the intent to expand Greenfield’s Industrial Park to potentially include parcels along the French King Highway, also known as Route 2A.
We are in complete understanding of Greenfield’s need to expand its industrial park space. As the largest landowner along Route 2A, we are of course concerned at this early stage in planning about how an expanded industrial park and the rezoning of 11 parcels along the French King Highway will impact our property and the interests we are charged with protecting.
We are stewards of over 40.1 acres at Wissatinnewag, abutting another property of 20 acres owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As such, planners and proponents of the potential industrial park expansion must be aware of the important Native American cultural and archaeological sites that are an extension of our property which was the site of a tribal village for over 10,000 years.
All the land in the Wissatinnewag and French King Zone is known to be sensitive archaeologically and a strong cultural asset for Greenfield. We have been hosting local school groups regularly and, this summer 60 K-12 teachers from all over the country visited our site.
Citizens of Greenfield should be made aware that the wetlands known as the White Ash Swamp, which abut the potential site of an industrial park expansion, were filled in with excavation materials containing documented human remains. These remains were removed from the property known as Wissatinnewag beginning in the 1950s during sand and gravel operations by the previous owner.
As such, that portion of the White Ash Swamp is now protected under a variety of legal regulations such as Chapter 105, 25 USC Chapter 32; 42 USC 1996; section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, MGL Part I Title VI Ch.38 sec 6, MGL 114 Ch.17.
Chapter 105-1 known as “The Native American Burial Ground Ordinance” of the City of Greenfield, states in this ordinance that “the Town of Greenfield recognizes, to the extent provided for in State and Federal law, any known place where American Indian remains have been buried or reburied as an American Indian Burial Ground…” etc, etc.
At the outset of the planning for an expanded industrial park, we simply wish to state that fact and remind the city of Greenfield of the obligations to respect and protect the 10 acre American Indian Reburial Grounds that abut any future expansion of the industrial park.
We also wish to remind the city that given the history of the site, both ancient and recent, permits from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, and the Army Corps of Engineers must be applied for and obtained, plus all parts of the Section 106 process will need to be completed. Typically, a 200-foot, non-disturbance zone from the swamp’s edge will also have to be respected, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations.
We seek the city’s guarantee that the mayor and Planning Board will respect our efforts to continue to protect and preserve the human remains found in these burial grounds, to ensure that the White Ash Swamp Burial Grounds will be protected from the placement of all buildings, roads, billboards and other structures, above and below ground, and protected from all sources of disruption, contamination, or other disturbance.
As stated above, the Nolumbeka Project Inc. understands the need for industrial park expansion somewhere in Greenfield. We simply seek the city’s acknowledgment and guarantees to protect the White Ash Swamp burials from further desecration, to afford them protection in perpetuity as supported by the City of Greenfield Native American Burial Ordinance, and the Nolumbeka Project, Inc., in alliance with the Narragansett Indian Tribe, the Aquinnah Wampanoag, Nipmuc/k tribes of Massachusetts, and the Elnu Abenaki Tribe.
David Brule, of Erving, is the president of the Nolumbeka Project Inc.