Researchers made a startling discovery recently when they analyzed human remains discovered in Minnesota's third-largest lake. People were gathering wild rice when they made the discovery. While the discovery of human remains would have been enough to make the headlines, researchers were surprised to find the remains were several hundred years old.
So why weren't the remains discovered before now? Well, authorities speculate that erosion may have played a factor. After careful examination, authorities realized the remains belonged to at least three people. Erosion caused the remains to surface near Leech Lake's shore. with more than 100,000 acres, the lake is quite massive.
Leech Lake Indian Reservation police chief Ken Washington said several remains have been found over the years. Throughout history, several tribes have made the area their home. "They'll just arise like that just through natural erosion of the water coming up on shorelines," he said.
Human Remains Found
Welk said that construction work also plays a role in unearthing these remains. It's apparently common but also uncommon for the area. I'll just let Welk explain. "It has happened a couple times a year, but then they can go several years in between," Welk said. "It just depends."
According to Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk, a couple of people harvesting rice found the remains. They were using a canoe with a push pole to collect rice. That's when they made the shocking discovery and immediately reported to authorities. Fortunately for arriving deputies, they didn't suddenly have a serial killer on their hands. Instead, the deputies managed to determine that the remains themselves were very old. Just how old remains to be seen. But we're talking ancient here.
They contacted the Leech Lake Heritage Sites program and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council to handle the situation. The goal here is to handle the remains in a "culturally appropriate manner." What that means exactly remains to be determined. However, it sounds like they have the situation under control.
"In doing so, this ensures vital evidence is preserved, along with being respectful of those who were here before us," the statement said.
