Discovering Lost Histories: Enslaved People's Burial Sites Unearthed

For years, genealogist Lenora Gobert has been on a mission to uncover the stories of enslaved people who once lived and died on a former plantation in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Her research has revealed the identities of five enslaved individuals buried on the land, which is now planned to be the site of a $9. 4 billion plastics complex owned by Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group. The land in question has a long history intertwined with plantation life. Historical documents show that the enslaved workers, named Stanley, Harry, Simon, Betsy, and Rachel, were traded and used as collateral by their owners, often mortgaged multiple times. Despite the abundance of financial records, personal details about their lives are scarce. Gobert's findings suggest that these individuals may have been buried on the plantation grounds, following common customs of the time. Furthermore, research conducted by London-based Forensic Architecture indicates that there could be hundreds more potential burial sites in the area. The Formosa Plastics project has faced significant opposition from local community groups, many of whom are descendants of enslaved people. They contend that the planned industrial development threatens their cultural heritage. In 2020, an archaeological report commissioned by Formosa acknowledged at least one burial site on the property but emphasized that the origin of the remains was uncertain.

Community activists point out that Formosa initially claimed no burial grounds were found and later withheld information about the discovery of human remains for over a year. Formosa maintains that details about the cemetery and other potential graves were included in documents made available during the permitting process. The fate of the burial sites remains a point of contention. Formosa had considered relocating the human remains, but local community groups have strongly advocated for leaving them in place. Formosa states they have fenced the burial site to protect it. In a legal twist, an East Baton Rouge judge canceled the company’s air permits in 2022, citing both environmental concerns and the significance of the land, believed to contain enslaved people’s remains. However, in January 2023, Louisiana’s First Circuit Court of Appeal overturned this ruling. Gobert emphasizes the importance of proactive measures to protect and honor these burial sites, pointedly questioning why enslaved people’s remains deserve less protection than others. This is a critical issue that deserves further attention and action.

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