"While no cleanup can remove the shameful, bloody stain of history from Indian Island, 12 years of effort by the Wiyot Tribe to reclaim their sacred land from decade after decade of industrial pollution is nearing completion.

Nearly $2 million so far has been spent removing lead batteries, contaminated soil and other debris from the 275 acres Wiyot Tribe members regard as the center of their universe. The site is home to the tribe's World Renewal Ceremony, which has not been held since 1860, the date of the infamous Indian Island massacre.

In the years following the slaughter of sleeping Wiyot men, women and children, Indian Island was turned into a ship repair facility. Under new ownership, poisons seeped into the soil, and remains and artifacts were looted."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Island cleanup cause for cheer (The Eureka Times-Standard 6/23)

Related Stories:
Wiyot Tribe seeking additional money for Indian Island cleanup (6/13)