Category Archives: Human Rights, Migrant Death

Talking about the project itself

A large metal cross with smaller crosses in the background in a grassy field.

Heroes

Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections
Two team members excavating in a trench as others look on from above
Forensic Archeology

As I reflect back upon our trip to Texas this year I keep returning to the statement “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” We started working in Brooks County in 2013 when we were invited to assist with the exhumations in Sacred Heart Burial Park.  We worked hard and provided an important contribution to the work being started there.  As we moved on to supervise the exhumations the following year, conduct skeletal analyses, navigate the identification system and interact with the community, we became more deeply embedded in the issues and more aware of the extent and complexities of the humanitarian crisis on our border.

After being away from my son for almost two weeks, he asked if we could have a special day together and go see the movie “Captain America: Civil War.” The movie focuses on the Avengers, a group of superheros tasked with doing “good” for humans across the planet. Up until this point the heroes operated as their own independent entity. In this episode, the heroes are required to accept accountability for their actions by entering into a political agreement with the United Nations that requires them to follow specific ordinances and governances. This divides the Avengers team with some of them wanting to continue their humanitarian efforts without governmental interference and others accepting of the oversight. The end result is two groups of heroes working for “good” from different perspectives.  Throughout the movie I kept thinking of the efforts in South Texas to save the living and identify then repatriate the dead.

Three team members with a red cross flag
Building Water Stations

There are many governmental and non-governmental organizations working on these efforts, and everyone is coming from a place where they feel they are doing the most “good”.   Some of these individuals are bound by rules and standard operating procedures. They are functioning within the law. This means that they have greater access and resources due to their governmental standing but also less freedom to quickly change and adapt to different circumstances.  These rules and guidelines are an important part of standardization of approach and process within the medicolegal system.  Other organizations are operating outside of the law. This does not mean they are doing anything illegal. It means they are not restricted by the same rules as the governmental agencies. They have more restricted access and resources, but they also have more freedoms. They can modify their policies and adapt to new and unforeseen circumstances. I do not see either of these approaches as better than the other as each operates differently in different situations.  But, in order to make progress regarding the crisis on the border these groups do need to work together.  We need to remember our common goal of dignity in life and in death, and not let our different approaches distract as. As in the movie “United we stand, divided we fall”.

Map of migrant deaths in South Texas
Migrant Deaths in South TX

Forensic anthropologists working on the border are part of a team of people working from different perspectives to do “good”.  There are certain resources and permissions that we need from those working within the law since most of us are not employed by any governmental entity. There are also certain freedoms and flexibilities that we enjoy by working outside the law. At times we want that accountability and at times we are thankful for our independence.

By comparing those working on border issues to The Avengers, am I calling them heroes? From those that save lives through search and rescue or maintaining water stations, to those who lighten the spirit through a warm meal or the gift of hospitality, to those that identify and repatriate the deceased to a family that needs closure, to those struggling to change policy  – By touching one heart or saving one life, yes I think they are heroes to someone.

~KEL

What We Leave, and What We Take

Community, Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections

Travelling to Texas over the past few summers is always challenging.  We usually try and pack in as much as humanly possible.  This applies not only to our luggage, but also our time in the Lone Star state.  Every day is crammed full of experiences to ensure that no second of time is wasted.  This year we completed 17 skeletal analyses (alongside the fine people of Texas State University), participated in “Missing in Harris County Day”, and even managed to have a little extra time to construct and fill water stations in Brooks County.

A woman smiling in front of a field.
My beautiful wife, Jessica.

Every time I travel I cannot help but think about what I’m taking and what I’m leaving behind.  Leaving Indianapolis, my first instinct is to pour over the trivial things… like did I bring underwear? or how much deodorant do I need for 10 days?  Those thoughts soon give way to the more meaningful.  The first and most important thing I leave behind every time I visit Texas is my beautiful wife.  Everyone who knows me will tell you that I’m not always the easiest person to get along with.  Jessica and I have been married for nearly 9 years now, which places her level of patience and understanding on par with saints.  It may seem silly, but I always feel like part of her is with me on my journey.  She understands that the work we do is meaningful and important, and I could not do it without her support.

A brown and white dog
Watson is on the case.

I left something new at home this year… This 3-year-old basset hound mix Jessica and I adopted from the Indianapolis Humane Society.  We changed his name to Watson, a fitting name for an intelligent and loyal side kick.  He has already become a member of our family, and I look forward to our future lives together.

The last thing I left in Indianapolis was my case knife.  I forgot that it was in my jacket pocket before the TSA security checkpoint.  It may sound trivial, but I loved that knife.  I am also glad that the TSA is doing their job so well.  I hope you enjoy my knife (although I suggest you clean it before using it).

The things that I take and leave from Texas are much more ephemeral.  If I had to choose one material thing to take back to Indy, it would be HEB grocery stores (sorry, everything else, its’s HEB!).  Alas, like most of the wonderful people and places in Texas, I am forced to leave them all behind.  I leave behind friends who treated us like family.  I leave behind families still searching for loved ones.  I also leave behind an amazing group of individuals that continue to fight for human rights, and aid in the identification of the missing.  People like the wonderful faculty and students of Texas State, and Eddie Canalez and Ryan Strand of the South Texas Human Rights Center show us what we can accomplish if our hearts and minds are in the right place.

I hope that I have taken part of that fight with me.  Although it seems that we are thousands of miles away from issues on the border, these issues permeate our entire country.  Even with this perceived separation, it is how we act now that that will that will continue to shape our great country.  Our country was founded on the magnanimous ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  I believe that everyone should have access, after all, todos somos inmigrantes (we are all immigrants).

Justin

Helping Families Find Their Loved Ones: Long Term Cases

Community, Human Rights, Migrant Death

Out of all topics I planned on covering this blog-year, I believe this topic is probably covered the most, mainly because Team UIndy’s expertise lies in exactly this category: long term cases. However, in the past, long term cases have mostly been discussed on the unidentified persons side. This includes the exhumation process and the anthropological analysis. So, for this post, I will focus on the missing persons side of long term cases

What is a long term case? For us at the South Texas Human Rights Center, we don’t have a particularly clear definition, but a long term case can usually be defined as a case that we’ve exhausted all possible resources to find a family’s loved one. This means that we’ve evaluated the circumstances of the disappearance and have called hospitals, detention centers, Border Patrol, etc. (all only with the family’s permission) with no luck.

In these cases, we do everything we can to keep the case actively investigated. First, we conduct a full interview that covers everything we can possibly think of regarding the person who went missing and how they went missing. Our form is around ten pages long and takes about an hour to fill out. We want the family to know that any and all information is extremely important and can ultimately can lead to finding their loved one. We ask for dental records, medical records, and any other potentially identifying information. With the family’s permission, we can file a law enforcement missing persons report and enter the case into NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System), which is an online database that allows the public to search among missing persons and unidentified persons cases in order to try and find matches. If applicable, we will send the case to other organizations to see if they can do anything to help. Finally, we try and collect a Family Reference Sample, which is a DNA sample that can be compared to DNA samples collected from unidentified human remains.

Missing in Harris County Day was an excellent example of all of our efforts to assist families wrapped into a single day. And while Team UIndy discussed the day in previous posts, I want to highlight some of the key successes of the day:

– We helped ten families through the entire process. Full interviews were conducted, cases were put in NamUs, DNA samples were collected, and ultimately families were provided with resources to help them find their missing loved one. Completing all of these processes is extremely difficult for so many reasons, and rarely happens. But on Saturday, we completed these processes for ten families. That is INCREDIBLE.

– We were able to help families whose loved ones were missing, not from the US, but from other countries. This is nearly an impossible feat. But thanks to the presence of the EAAF (Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team), these families could be helped.

– We were able to provide families with explanations about the entire process by allowing families to interact with experts. Again, because of the complexities of the process, families are usually left with more questions than answers after an interview or after a DNA collection. But with everyone together in one room, families could have many questions answered.

These long term cases are extremely difficult in so many different ways. And through this process, I’ve come to hold one position in higher respect than any other position I’ve witnessed: the interviewer. I am extremely thankful for the volunteers who listened to families as they told heartbreaking stories, offering condolences and an open heart to any family who needed it. These volunteers truly and honestly put the families before everything else. Some go as far as to give families their personal phone numbers to allow families to call whenever they need someone to listen. These volunteers were present at Missing in Harris County Day, and are a continual source of inspiration and hope during this crisis. I know I’ve said before that no position is more important than another, but I have to briefly disagree as I reflect on the fact that for these volunteers, helping a family ALWAYS comes first.

Ryan