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12TuesdayAugust192014togetalittlecloser.Campingisaboutgettingaway.Awaytowaterfallhikesshingandfossilhunts.Teressomethingaboutgettingintouchwithnaturethatalwaysgetsyoumoreintouchwitheachother.GotheextramilethissummerandexploreNWparks.TobookatSambaaDehFallsTerritorialParkvisitSambaaDehFallsTerritorialParkHumanremainsunearthednearFortChipewyanhomeLocalsbelieveareamaybesiteof200year-oldburialgroundByMEAGANWOHLBERGResidentsinFortChipewyanhelpingtodorepairsonanel-dershomewereshockedlastweektondhumanremainsburiednearthehouse.CrewsdoingexcavationworktostopwaterseepageinMaryVoyageursbasementunearthedwhatlocalssaywasaskullandsomeotherbones.WorkwasimmediatelystoppedtheareacordonedoffandtheremainstakenbyRCMPtoforwardontotheprovincialmedicalexamin-ersofceforanthropologiststoexaminesaidSgt.GordonPateywiththeWoodBuffaloRCMPinFortChipewyan.TheywillbehopefullyexpeditingtheprocessandgettingbacktousassoonaspossiblePateysaid.AccordingtothesergeantlocalsindicatetheareamightbethesiteofanoldburialgroundcreatedcenturiesagoduringadeadlyoutbreakoftheSpanishu.MyunderstandingfromtalkingtoChiefSteveCour-toreillehereisthattherewasamassburialsitetherebecauseabout200yearsagotherewasaSpanishuepidemicsotheyburiedthedeceasedinthatspacePateysaid.Accordingtolocalssto-riesremainswerediscoveredwhenoriginallydiggingthebasementtoVoyageurshousemanyyearsago.Additionallyworkdoneonaneighbour-inghousetoinstallawaterorsewerlinearound40yearsagoledtothediscoveryofre-mainsfromveorsixbodieswhichweretakenandreburiedinthecemetery.Ifthatisthecasetheser-geantsaidtheyexpectmorehumanremainsmaybebur-iedintheareaandassuchhavenotiedthemunicipalitywhichhascontactedthepro-vincialdepartmentofCulturetogivestafftheretheheadsup.WhatwerewaitingforfromtheanthropologistsisadatingontheremainsPateysaid.IftheyrereallyolditsoutoftheRCMPshandsandnowitswiththeprovincetodealwith.AsimilarissuebeinghandledbytheprovincialgovernmenthassurfacedintheJanvier-Conklinareaofthemunicipal-ityofWoodBuffalowherearoadwaywasconstructedveryneartoanoldburialsite.GiventhelonghistoryofthecommunityPateysaidtheex-istenceofsuchburialgroundsinFortChipewyanwouldnotbeunlikely.FortChipistheoldestcommunityinAlbertasotheresgoingtobeprobablyalotofdifferentburialsitesaroundhereIwouldimag-inehesaid.Despiteindicationsthattheremainsmaybehistori-calPateysaidtheRCMParestilltreatingitassuspicious.ItwasfoundwhereyouwouldntactuallythinkyouwouldfinditsowhenitsunearthedwehavetoexamineittomakesurethatitisntofasuspiciousnaturewehavetotrytogetanapproximatetimeoryearofdeaththatkindofthingPateysaid.Thatswhattheanthropologistswilldoforusandthemedicalexaminerswillsendusbackareport.Ifitsnotofasuspiciousna-turehesaidtheremainswillbereturnedtothecommunityforreburial.Pateyhasrequestedtheex-aminationbedoneasquicklyaspossiblesothatworkcannishonVoyageurshousebeforewinter.FortChipewyanRCMPSgt.GordonPateysaysitislikelytherearemorehistoricalburialgroundsthroughoutthecommunitywhichistheoldestsettlementintheprovince.FilephotoCrimeInvestigation