Senior U.S. District Judge Ronald R. Lagueux declined yesterday to issue a temporary order to halt a sewer construction project on West Shore Road in Providence, R.I., where the Narragansett tribe believes ancient Indian graves are located. A meeting is scheduled for November 15 to discuss the matter. In the meantime, the judge ordered that the tribe be allowed to observe the excavation work. The tribe was also required to waive its sovereign immunity in this case and recognize the authority of the U.S. courts to resolve the issue. Though the supervisor and crew insist that they are taking proper precautions, including the hiring of an archaeologist firm to monitor their work, the tribe counters that the work is being done too quickly, without proper regard for preserving remains or artifacts. The Pokanoket tribe has also claimed the site as its own.
