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silver_haze

Hey folks. Longtime reader, planning on a serious grow next year, and just recently decided to join this uber-friendly community and register. So this is the first of what I hope is many posts. If this topic has already been covered, I didn't see it when I ran a few searches, so just let me know and I'll go read the other thread if there is one.

Anyway, I'm in the middle of small-town Illinois, and just tonight my fiance told me about a place out here that is actually a sacred Native American burial ground. A family bought it, and even though apparently all the locals here know that the guy's a big-time grower, they can't do anything about it because it's sacred ground or private property or some argument like that. A little background - the property is huge, and teens go out there and party all the time. She tells me that some years back, some drunk guy managed to fall off a tree and kill himself, but the news crews weren't even allowed in there.

Does this make sense to any of you? I've never heard of something like that keeping even law enforcement from being able to come in and mess things up for everyone.

I hope this was the right forum; none of the other forums struck me as a better place to post this. I appreciate your input in advance, and happy smoking!

 

Closet Pigs

Where are you in Illinois? I live in Naperville and my dad has a farm near Peoria that he owns that he grew up in.

I've never heard of anything like that. I can't imagine that there are places within the US that aren't subject to US law.

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Ragdoll

Actually, there are indeed places in the US not subject to US law. Indian Reservations are just such an example. Ruled by tribal law (many of which mirror US law).

I would be rather wary though of planting on tribal burial grounds. Google your little heart out first. Fr'instance, what about the idea that if you were connected to the grow, you would be prosecuted not only for the grow, but disturbance of an archaeological site as well? (I may be wrong, but when it comes to growing, paranoia is a good idea!)

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Ragdoll
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silver_haze

Indeed. I've never heard of that either, with the possible exception of sovereign nations within US borders, and I'm not even sure those qualify either. Just a guess.

I'm out in Mattoon-Charleston due west of Terre Haute. On the remote possibility that you're familiar with the area, the place she mentioned is called Tiles. I'm assuming that's how it's spelled; I'm just writing it the way she said it. I would go into more detail about who owns it, but... you know. Privacy and such.

silver

silver_haze

Well roger me silly with a wet catfish if we didn't post at the same danged time, Ragdoll. Looks like we're talking about the same thing.

I've been to at least two reservations that I can remember - the Makah out by Seattle in '98 and the Navajo in the southwest (don't recall when, now; probably '97). I wonder if there was any pot, and just how much I might have walked right past. Wish I'd been more observant; it might have made the painted deserts a little more interesting.

silver

 

HappyMan

I believe Indian Reservations are subject to federal law, but not state.....

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Closet Pigs

That would make more sense. Wasn't it ruled that the federal government didn't have the authority to ban substances within a state, and that it was the responsibility of the state government? I remember seeing a post here that said something like that, but I may have misunderstood.

I'm actually part Indian... Cherokee I think. I wonder if there's any way I could turn that into a serious advantage through some weird loophole in the system...

Niteshift

Indian Reservations are USUALLY subject to federal law, as it stands. However, the treaty in place for each tribe will have slight variances. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (part of the Dept. of the Interior) is the primary federal agency that deals with them.

Reservations are generally not exempt from state criminal laws, but there are limitations on it. Normally, the LEO's working on reservations are state certified officers with a concurrent authority from the BIA.

As for the case in the question, the "sacred ground", there is no real "sacred ground" provision in the law that would keep the police, or a news crew, off the land. However, it is private property, and that DOES keep both off the land, depending on the circumstances.

The news crew, if it's true, could have been excluded because it's private property or because it's a crime scene.

Generally speaking, what "everyone knows" isn't always fact. If the land is truly a burial ground, it would more than likely have been designated as an archeological site and be fairly heavily policed.

Incidentally, my state has specific laws governing the protection of historical/archeological sites. It would be impossible to enforce those laws if I were excluded from being on the land to investigate/witness the crime.

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hauptmann

Interesting... Good to know ^^^

The reservations where I live seem to be major crime hubs. I don't know what the causation is behind it, whether there are less LE Officers, regulations, patrols or what. But anything and everything comes out of these places out here, ALOT of drugs, guns or whatever else. I don't know if they are just way stations for people who smuggle & distribute because its "safer" or what?

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Ragdoll

Lots of reasons for crime on the reservation - enforcement is pretty minimal, any career opportunities even more limited, if I think about my PO years, I'll probably remember some more. In the state where I was a PO, local LEOs stayed away from the reservations as much as possible, because they knew how dangerous it could be. Also, if I recall, there was a jurisdiction issue - I think LE was by marshalls with the BIA. But it's been over 20 years ago, so I could be more than a little foggy. I really liked my Indian Probationers & Parollees, though.