All posts by rizorl

Five people in front of a rock wall holding up one finger.

Day 1 (Lab) – at ORPL

Human Rights, Migrant Death

This morning, the team awoke for a warm breakfast made by Dr. Latham.  We had breakfast tacos and potatoes, and they were wonderful!  We knew today would be a long day at the Osteology Research and Processing Lab (ORPL) so we needed full stomachs to fuel us for the day. ORPL is located on 26 acres of the Freeman Ranch and opened in 2008.  ORPL is part of a larger multi-purpose facility that is used for teaching and training purposes, as well as for conferences and outreach services.  Specifically, ORPL is utilized for forensic anthropological casework as well as the processing of skeletons donated to the Texas State Donated Skeletal collection.    ORPL is where the skeletal analysis portion of this trip takes place before we depart for Rio Grande City on Sunday.

The outside of a research facility.
Texas State Osteological Research and Processing Laboratory

When we arrived at ORPL, we got a brief tour of the facilities by Dr. Tim Gocha.  We got to see their processing room, multipurpose classroom, osteology laboratory, and the room where donated and OpID skeletons are stored.  Their processing room was AMAZING!  At UIndy, we use different tools and technologies.  So while we use two burners and small cooking pots, ORPL has a vat that an entire skeleton can fit into!  It was very interesting to see these new technologies and different pieces of equipment that the students at Texas State have access to.

Leann taking photos.
Leann taking photos

The first thing we did after our tour was figure out the best way to take photos in the space we had.  Photography is an integral part of the documentation process, so ensuring photo quality was one of our first priorities.  At UIndy, we have a photography station, with plenty of lights and various lenses to achieve the desired photographical results.  At ORPL, we did not have control over the lights whatsoever.  In addition, the lights were luminescent which can affect the coloration of the photo unless you account for these light sources in your settings.  However, to account for luminescent lights, I had to change the settings too much which made the shutter speed too slow and all of the photos blurry.  After much fidgeting and about four different table positions, we were able to find the optimal photo settings for the room and skeletal analyses could begin.

team members in the lab.
The team beginning skeletal inventory

Skeletal analysis started out pretty slow, as we had multiple tasks occurring at once and we had not yet found our “groove.”  To begin, Erica, Jessica, Haley and I laid out the skeleton in anatomical position.  Next, Erica and I conducted dental analysis and scored cranial suture closure, while Dr. Latham, Jessica, and Haley worked on inventory, discrete and taphonomy observations.  While Haley and Erica were measuring the skeleton, I began taking photographs of the various skeletal elements.  We worked in these different groups simultaneously, ensuring efficiency so as to analyze as many sets of remains as possible and start the identification process for these individuals.

Close up of a team member in the lab
Erica conducting dental analysis

By the end of the day, the team began to get into a groove and we nearly completed two full skeletons.  Today was a day of adaptations and flexibility as we learned to navigate the unfamiliar lab space we were working in.  We now have a better idea of what to expect and the challenges we will face, so I believe the remaining days at ORPL will run much smoother.  Overall, today was a great day filled with new challenges and learning experiences as this was Jessica, Haley, Erica, and I’s first experience with the skeletal analysis portion of this humanitarian mission in South Texas.  I am excited to continue working on skeletal analyses and learning the different ways the casework is conducted at different institutions.  I can’t wait to see what new challenges tomorrow brings!

— Leann

Grateful to Return

Reflections

The semester is finally over.  All of my papers are turned in, projects are done, and exams are over.  I have been so busy the past few weeks that it has not hit me until now that we leave for Texas in only a few days. While this may seem like an adequate amount of time, there is still so much I have to do before we leave.  I still need to purchase and gather my supplies, pack my suitcase, and begin to prepare myself physically and emotionally for what lies ahead.

This trip is going to be very different from our previous trip in January, so I am at a loss when it comes to expectations.  While our January trip consisted of finishing the exhumations in Sacred Heart Burial Park in Falfurrias, TX, the current trip will include both lab analysis and exhumation components.  Because our trip in January marked my first involvement with this project, the lab analysis portion is completely new to me. My analysis duties will consist of various aspects of skeletal inventory, dental charting, aging techniques, and photography.  While I have participated in these aspects of skeletal analysis at the University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center, I have never had to complete several analyses in one day.  I think that this will be the most challenging part about the lab analysis portion of this trip – completing as many analyses as possible to begin the identification process and homeward journey for as many individuals as possible.  This coming week, I plan on brushing up on my photography and osteology skills to ensure I am prepared for this endeavor.

Despite the fact that we conducted exhumations during our previous trip in January, I do not feel any less anxious about the exhumation process because it will be taking place in a completely new county.  Rio Grande City (Starr Co.) is about 1.5 hours SW of Falfurrias, and it is situated right along the US-Mexico border.  Because this is a new and unfamiliar area, I do not have any ideas or expectations regarding what we will encounter upon arrival.  I am unaware whether the burials are marked or unmarked, whether they are in a specific part of the cemetery or scattered throughout, what the soil conditions will be like… we are basically going in blind.  Much like our last trip, I will again be creating all of the maps of the areas we excavate.  The unfamiliarity with this new cemetery makes me anxious, as I do not know what to expect and/or how to prepare.  In addition, the weather will be very different this trip. In January, some days had a windchill of only 20 degrees, and there was only one day that I considered “warm.”  My most recent weather searches in Rio Grande City indicate the temperature will range between 95 and 100 degrees with between 50 and 60% humidity.  The heat will be a new obstacle we will have to face, and will surely impact us in unimaginable ways.

I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to travel back to Texas and continue to aid in the humanitarian efforts occurring at the border.  I am lucky to get to be a part of such an extraordinary effort, made up of numerous agencies and countless hours, dedicated to identification and spreading awareness regarding the crisis occurring at the US-Mexico border.  I discovered within myself a passion for humanitarianism on my last trip to Texas, and I can’t wait to continue to give all that I have to this incredible effort.  I am grateful for every single experience I had on my last trip to Texas, but I am even more grateful to return.

Leann

Not goodbye, but see you later

Reflections

This post has been really hard for me to write.  Not because I have a lack of things to say, but because it is hard to put my experience into words.

I learned so incredibly much while down in Texas.  Not only did I gain more experience with forensic archeological techniques, more importantly, I experienced the humanitarian side of this crisis at a deeply personal level.  As I have written in a previous post, growing up in Michigan and now attending school in Indiana, I have been very removed from what’s occurring at the border.  Going to Texas was my first experience with this humanitarian crisis, and it hit me really, really hard.  Meeting individuals and families who survived the journey where so many perish was an extremely powerful and emotional experience for me.  While we always show respect for bones, talking with the individuals who survived the same conditions experienced by those being exhumed in the burial park added a new and unique dimension to understanding the crisis at the border and its relationship to humanitarianism. I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to volunteer at the Respite Center because experiencing this side of the crisis ignited inside of me a passion for humanitarian work.

Although we accomplished a lot while down in Texas, there is still so much to be done and because of that, it doesn’t feel right to back in Indy.  I wish we could have stayed longer and helped more, but it’s reassuring to know that the efforts down there don’t stop when we leave.  Everyone involved in Sacred Heart Humanitarian Respite  Center, South Texas Human Rights Center, Operation Identification, as well as the various other organizations committed to identification and bringing awareness to the crisis at the border remain hard at work.  I am grateful to have been able to meet some of the individuals involved in these organizations, the work they do is truly amazing.

With the start of a new semester, assignments, projects, papers, and deadlines will begin  to consume my time once again.  No matter how busy I get, I will never forget the experiences I had in Texas.  These experiences have changed me in many ways; they have allowed me to grow as a scientist, as an anthropologist, as an individual, and as an advocate.  I only hope that I am able to return to South Texas once again to volunteer my time to aid in this crisis.  So, Texas, it’s not goodbye, but see you later.
Leann