“What Makes It Alright to Dig Up Our Ancestral Remains?”: An Interview With Carmen Lucas, Kwaaymii Laguna Band of Indians

Carmen Lucas is a tribal monitor, expert, and elder of the Kwaaymii Laguna Band of Indians, San Diego County, California. She learned about cultural landscapes and Ancestral human remains from her father, the late Tom Lucas—the last full‐blooded descendant of the Kwaaymii—and has been a caretaker of the Kwaaymii Homeland and burial grounds at the former Laguna Indian Reservation for the last 50 years. After a 20 year career in the United States Marine Corps, Lucas has worked in the field of cultural resource management (CRM) as a tribal monitor, consultant, and educator. She has helped archaeologists and tribal monitors to identify archaeological deposits, Ancestral remains, and burial items to promote avoidance and preservation in place. Lucas also serves on the State of California's Truth & Healing Council as a voting member. Along with historians, archaeologists, and her attorney Courtney Ann Coyle, Lucas has helped to write and successfully nominate at least five historic properties to the National Register of Historic Places based on their tribal cultural values. In this interview, Lucas provides critical insights on the role of anthropology and archaeology in CRM, especially as it relates to the development of renewable energy and mineral extraction.