By Paul Gattis
The Tennessee Valley Authority, in a filing Wednesday with the Federal Register, said it has remains of almost 5,000 people that have been removed from TVA sites.
That includes, at a minimum, the remains of 722 people removed from north Alabama.
The remains are believed to largely be of Native Americans. In Alabama, it’s believed the remains are affiliated with at least 16 different Native American tribes.
The remains in Alabama are from the following counties: Colbert, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan.
The tribes associated with the remains in Alabama are Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas; Cherokee Nation; Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; Kialegee Tribal Town; Poarch Band of Creek Indians; Shawnee Tribe; The Chickasaw Nation; The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; The Muscogee (Creek) Nation; The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma; Thlopthlocco Tribal Town; and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
Other states where remains were recovered are Kentucky and Tennessee. There were eight remains recovered in Kentucky while Tennessee remains were 4,141.
Altogether, the remains of at least 4,871 people have been inventoried by TVA.
In the Federal Register filing, TVA said it was making accommodations to return the remains to their families. Repatriation may occur on or after April 28. This also includes associated funerary objects.
Requests for repatriation and associated funerary objects may be submitted to Meg Cook at TVA, 400 West Summit Hill Drive WT11C, Knoxville, TN, 37902-1401. Cook may be reached by phone at 865-253-1265 and via email at tvatribal@tva.gov.
Requests may be filed by any of the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations identified in the Federal Register filing or any lineal descendent, Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in the filing who can show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the requestor is a lineal descendant or a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization.
TVA said the filing with the Federal Register is also being sent to all Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations listed in the filing.
The remains and funerary objects are under the control of TVA and in the physical custody of TVA and its partner repositories, which include the University of Alabama, University of Kentucky, Mississippi State University, Southern Illinois University and the University of Tennessee.
