GALT, Calif. —
Wilton Rancheria leaders are demanding accountability over damaged grave markers and what they describe as unequal maintenance and repeated interference with traditional Native burial practices at Hicksville Cemetery.
The cemetery grounds show a stark contrast between the maintained, green areas and the dry section where many Wilton Rancheria citizens and their relatives are buried, Tribal Chairman Jesus Tarango said.
“You go out there, and you look at that cemetery, and you tell me what side my people are buried on and what side the other people are buried on,” Tarango said. “You could tell very, very distinctly right out the gate which is our side. That’s the utmost disrespect.”
Tribal members say some headstones have been damaged by cemetery groundskeepers. Joyce Dozier Hatch, whose father, grandmother, great-grandmother and several other relatives are buried at the cemetery, said she was heartbroken when she saw the condition of their graves.
“They’re all broken up, and we didn’t expect that,” Hatch said. “It was just really sad.”
Hatch said those maintaining the cemetery should have exercised greater care around the markers.
“They should have been more careful and respectful,” she said.
Native families and non-Native settlers have used Hicksville Cemetery as a burial site for more than a century, according to Wilton Rancheria. Tarango said the cemetery is especially significant to the Tribe because it is within its ancestral homeland.
“It’s an eternal resting place that we call home because it resides in our ancestral homeland,” Tarango said. “And it’s been the home and eternal resting place for over 100 years.”
The Tribe is also raising concerns about its ability to continue traditional burial practices. Tarango said cemetery workers have told Tribal members they cannot dig graves themselves.
Digging graves is an important cultural responsibility for Wilton Rancheria men, Tarango said. The practice allows community members to prepare a loved one’s final resting place while the immediate family grieves.
“These are our culture. These are traditions,” Tarango said. “And so, for that, we want to continue to honor that.”
The Galt-Arno Cemetery District owns and manages the cemetery. Tarango and other Wilton Rancheria leaders addressed the district’s board Aug. 19, calling for accountability for the damaged markers and continued access for traditional burials.
Tribal leaders also opposed a proposed resolution they said could interfere with those burial traditions.
“Wilton Rancheria is asking for nothing more than the ability to fulfill a responsibility for our citizens and our ancestors with dignity and respect, without unnecessary interference,” Tarango told the board.
The board delayed action on cemetery grounds for two weeks, allowing more time for discussion.
“I hope that in the next two weeks we could have open dialogue,” Tarango said after the meeting.
Wilton Rancheria said it wants the cemetery district to work directly with the Tribe as a sovereign Tribal government. Tribal leaders have offered to help restore and maintain the burial grounds and are seeking fair, consistent policies governing burials and cemetery access.
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