Category Archives: Snapshots

Random things about us

Connections

Snapshots

Last week over 40 forensic anthropologists and their students converged on Boulder City, NV for the 34th annual meeting of the Mountain, Desert & Coastal Forensic Anthropologists.  This provided the backdrop for amazing connections and motivation for the UIndy team that is focusing on issues of migrant death.  While the meeting emphasized scholarship and casework in all areas of forensic anthropology, the team was able to connect with some prominent people working in the trenches of this human rights issue.

UIndy group photo with Dr. Lori Baker

The Uindy team with Dr. Lori Baker

The UIndy team was able to spend quality time with Dr. Lori Baker, the director of the identification efforts in Brooks County.  This allowed us time to formulate an archeological plan for the field efforts that will begin next week in the Sacred Heart Burial Park. Ryan suggested that each student group do daily presentations on their progress in the field during our evening debriefings, an idea favored by Dr. Baker.  Each UIndy student team member will have a leadership role this field season and they were ecstatic to share their ideas with Dr. Baker.

Robin Reineke and Dr. Latham smiling

Robin Reineke and Dr. Latham

We were also able to connect with Robin Reineke, executive director of the Colibri Center for Human Rights.  The mission of the Colibri Center is to improve the identification of human remains found on the US-Mexico border and to inform the public of this human rights issue by building a unique system for the collection, management, and sharing of data about the deaths and disappearances. Robin and her team are instrumental in reaching the families of the missing and collecting invaluable missing persons information to aid in the identification efforts. I tried to get a nice photo with Robin, but notice we were photo bombed by prominent forensic anthropologist Dr. P. Willey from California State University, Chico. You can’t say forensic anthropologists don’t have a sense of humor! 

We spent time interacting with Dr. H. Gill-King, Dr. Wendy Potter McQuade, and John Servello of the University of North Texas center for Human Identification. This Texas laboratory will be generating DNA profiles from all of our unidentified individuals with the hope of matching the genetic information to a family reference sample.

Dr. Bartelink, Dr. Baker, and Dr. Latham smiling for a picture infront of a mountainous background

Drs. Lori Baker, Eric Bartelink and Krista Latham

Dr. Eric Bartelink of California State University, Chico graciously offered to run isotope analysis on the 13 individuals currently being analyzed at UIndy. This type of molecular analysis has the potential to identify the country of origin of these migrants and will provide a geographic reference point to begin searching for families of the missing.  Dr. Bartelink is providing a valuable service and important step in returning these unidentified individuals to their families. He offered to cover the cost of supplies (which will run over $2000) out of his own pocket. Our hope is to continue our fundraising efforts to help compensate him for his efforts.

Our team was most humbled and most honored when Dr. Bruce Anderson of the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner proposed that the MD&C donate some of it’s annual fundraising efforts to our mission.  Each person at that meeting has noble missions they support and the sincere gesture and assistance for our mission was overwhelming.  It gave us a boost of confidence and assurance that we are doing the right thing and making a difference.

Dr. Krista Latham

Falfurrias Flashback: Texas Flood

Environment, Snapshots

As I said in my previous post, it is usually the little things that I remember the most, like the small victories.    One such victory happened on our last day in the field.  Our goal was to finish all of the remaining excavations in the quadrant in which we were working.  There was only one burial left before we were completely done, when a loud clap of thunder interrupted our work.  We were informed that large storm system was heading our way, and we only had a few minutes to evacuate the work site.  We were only a few shovels-full of dirt away from our finishing point, and yet we were told that it would soon be unsafe to continue.

Day 7 group photo with 7 fingers up, all frowns, and drenched shirts
Disheartened by the impending storm.

At this point I should mention that every day we took an end-of-the-day photograph.  We would all line up, hold up our fingers indicating the number of days in the field and smile for the camera in celebration of a hard day of work.  On this day in particular the photograph was much less cheerful  than normal.  We were all frustrated that we had come so close and were now being forced to leave.  The range of expressions on our faces varies from sad and disheartened to outright rage.  With the impending tempest nearly upon us, we begged Dr. Latham to plead for a few more minutes.  After a short bit of coaxing and prodding we were begrudgingly allotted 20 more minutes after checking the local radar, to which I excitedly responded, “Forget that, we’ll do it in 10.” (Choice words may have been “edited” for appropriateness.)

The group took flight with all of the speed and fervor of a swat team.  Most of what I remember is a hurried haze.  There was plenty of shouting and running, but not a single ounce of effort went to waste.  Every one of us seamlessly moved around each other like a school of feeding fish.  Within five minutes we had finished removing the soil on the surface of the burial, and within ten minutes the remains were out of the ground.

Day 7 group picture with all smiles and members soaked
Soaked and Victorious

You learn a lot about people by how they react when the chips are down.  If we hadn’t finished that last burial we would have ended on a sour note, and we would have been eternally haunted by our failure.  Without hesitation, every single member of the team placed themselves in front of the storm.  There was never a question about whether or not we should finish, we just needed that little bit of time.  We took another end-of-the-day photo to celebrate our victory.  I believe that these two photos show the true dedication and passion of all of us.  When a storm blocked our path, we showed that UIndy students are truly a force with which to be reckoned.

Justin Maiers

The Land of Heart’s Delight

Community, Snapshots

Besides working in the field, last summer’s Texas trip provided our team many opportunities to get to know the community of Falfurrias.  The community was so welcoming to our team and I am excited to return to Fal this summer to reconnect with all of them.

One such community member was Arturo “Art” Garcia; he is one of the four Brooks County Constables and would visit us at the scene everyday to see how everything was going and if he could help.  He was such a sweet man and was kind enough to invite all of us hungry students into his home for an authentic Mexican home-cooked meal.  Hearing his family’s story of how his mother migrated into the United States brought the entire story into perspective for me. Art and his brother Ovivio work in Brooks County and I look forward to catching up with them again this year.

Group picture with Arturo, all in nice clothes
Dinner at Arturo’s House

We were also able to sit in on the Brooks County Border Patrol meeting discussing the stations updates for the past quarter.  There we were able to interact with not only the Border Patrol officers but also the local ranchers.  It was amazing to hear the many rescue stories led by the Border Patrol and to see a sort of behind-the-scenes look at the challenges the county is facing on immigration issues.

One of my many favorite nights in Falfurrias was when we were invited to the Lasater Ranch.  When it was founded it was one of the largest ranches in Texas, consisting of around 350,000 acres of land.  The town of Falfurrias was named from this founding ranch called La Mota de Falfurrias.  The Lasater’s invited all of us back to the ranch for a home cooked meal and a relaxing evening.  We got to see their beautiful property and resident peacocks and flock of turkeys.

Group photo in a field with purple flowers
     Lasater Ranch

The fields surrounding their home were full of beautiful purple Heart’s Delight flowers, which are only found in Southern Texas. It was such an honor to be invited into their home, another example of the gracious attitude seen in the people of Falfurrias.

As far as being in the field, our days would not have been the same without Chief Deputy Urbino “Benny” Martínez and Lionel Muñoz.  They work for the Brooks County Sheriff department and would visit the cemetery everyday to check on our daily progress and to see if we needed anything.  Lionel even volunteered his trailer to post at the scene for an additional bathroom and a nice cool place to organize paperwork or simply for a quick chill off during a long hot day of digging.

Group picture of Lionel and the UIndy Crew at Sacred Heart Burial Park
Lionel and the UIndy Crew at Sacred Heart Burial Park

Last, but certainly not least, was our adopted field cat, Sunny.  She was a local to the hotel we were staying at and was quickly named and fed by many.  Our crew named her Sunny and one of the other students would give her cat treats everyday when we would return from the field.

The community of Falfurrias was beyond generous during our time there; it made the field season somewhat like a second home, and I am more than a little excited to return for another field season.

Erica Christensen