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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

More News, More Perspectives

Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections

The longer I’m involved in this human rights project, the more I learn about the magnitude of the project and how far it extends. As we’ve talked about before, not only are so many people involved directly in the project, but many experience the unfortunate tragedies as a result of the crisis. Fortunately, awareness of the crisis is becoming more widespread. I’m torn when I open my internet browser, check the multiple news sites, and see a major headline about immigrant deaths across the nation. It hurts to read the stories of pain and tragedy. I do my best to sympathize for the individuals affected by the crisis. I also try and see the glimmer of positivity in the fact that these stories are being broadcast both nationwide and worldwide through these major news sources. Each story that makes the headlines provides more awareness to a broader audience, which will hopefully bring in more support for this human rights crisis.

I thought I would share some of the links that I have come across in these past few months leading up to our trip. These are articles that I have stumbled upon, read, and quickly shared with other people involved in the project. Each one is equally important and unique, and provides a different perspective of the same human rights crisis. It is imperative for us who are directly involved in the project that we read any news we can and attempt to understand every possible perspective.

The first story is an encompassing article that describes the difficult process of identification. Our trip is only a beginning step in identifying individuals. Identifications can be made using dental records, but DNA matches are often necessary. Contrary to popular TV shows, DNA matches are not instantaneous and require comparison samples that are difficult to obtain. This article details that process using stories with real families. I highly recommend this article for anyone trying to comprehend the lengthy and emotional process of identification: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/17/us/immigrant-desert-deaths-dna/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1

Another story reveals the changing demographics of border crossers and some of the politics behind helping these individuals. The numbers of children crossing the border are astounding and scary, and I know that many of us were shocked at the facts. These are innocent children seeking help: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/children-crossing-border-strain-facilities-n109401

Finally, two other articles focus on border crossers who have survived the difficult migration, but have not escaped the human rights crisis. These articles really showed me that this crisis extends well beyond the borders and deaths and includes those forced into modern day slavery and inhumane conditions. One is a compilation of photographs that highlight victims: http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/20/victims-of-modern-day-slavery/?hpt=hp_c2. The other is a news story about finding survivors within a stash house: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/us/texas-immigrants-stash-house/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Colibri Center for Human Rights Logo with an orange and red hummingbird
                     Colibri Center For Human Rights

Of course, there are more stories coming out every day, and it’s impossible to find and read every story that is important to this project. Fortunately, the Colibri Center for Human Rights has a website dedicated to providing information about the project. The website shares every story they find surrounding the issues of migrant death. It also has information about how to help and contribute information that could save lives. Please check out http://colibricenter.org/ for more information.

And finally, we would love to read any and every story about this issue. If you have information that you’d like to share, please email me at strandr@uindy.edu or Dr. Latham at lathamke@uindy.edu with links to the articles. I will make sure to share them with everybody through this blog in a separate post as well as through social media. Thank you!

Ryan Strand

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