Tribe sues archdiocese over cathedral plan
Story-Date: 04:31 a.m. PST Monday   , December 22, 1997

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Tribe sues archdiocese over cathedral plan



LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Shoshone Gabrielino Nation has filed a $50 million
lawsuit alleging that an ancient burial ground is threatened by a cathedral
complex planned by the Roman Catholic archdiocese.

The suit, filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, names Archbishop
Roger Mahony, head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and
the Community Development Agency of Los Angeles as defendants.

According to the suit, the city violated the California Environmental
Quality Act by approving the project on the northwest corner of Temple and
Hill streets without an appropriate impact study.

The tribe also claims the 1957 discovery of bones believed to be that of an
American Indian proves the site is a burial ground and should be preserved.

The plaintiffs ask that "unique archaeological and historic sites be fully
disclosed and investigated," and that "all feasible mitigation measures be
implemented to reduce impacts to cultural and historic sources."

Vera Rocha, chief of the Shoshone Gabrielino Nation, said the site is the
resting place of her people.

"The remains of our ancestors are buried there," Rocha said.

Rev. Gregory Coiro, spokesman for the archdiocese, said the
environmental impact study of the site, which outlines the property's
planned development, is sensitive to the tribe and provides for
preservation if anything is discovered at the site.

"Until we break ground and begin construction, we really don't know what we
are going to find," Coiro said. "We will have an archaeologist and a Native
American monitor so if anything is found, it will be treated with respect
and dignity -- especially if they are human remains."

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