How did the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians get involved in the Project?
In February 2010, the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) notified Padre Dam that Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians (Viejas) had replaced KCRC as the Most Likely Descendent of the bone fragments discovered on the Project site. Shortly thereafter, Viejas demanded that Padre Dam stop construction. Despite the fact that no new human remains had been found and Padre Dam was unaware of any authority that allowed for the replacement of a previously designated Most Likely Descendent, Padre Dam voluntarily stopped work at the site and met and conferred with Viejas regarding their concerns and recommendations. Padre Dam hoped to find a resolution to Viejas’ concerns and to foster goodwill between the two governments. After three months of negotiations, the parties were at an impasse. Viejas demanded total avoidance of the site, and rejected on-site compromises designed to avoid the area where cultural resources were found, while still allowing the critical Project to move forward. Under Pu
