Birch Hill to remain open for Native group’s winter burials
Published Saturday, October 11, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — A local Native organization will be allowed to conduct burials at Birch Hill Cemetery this winter, despite recent confusion about whether the burial site would remain open to the group.
Last week, Fairbanks Native Association Interim Executive Director Doreen Deaton expressed concerns that the Native community would be unable to perform winter burials this season without access to the cemetery. The owner of Birch Hill Cemetery, Tim Wisniewski, said he wasn’t aware of FNA’s concerns.
“Winter burial disputes from FNA have never been communicated to the current owner of Birch Hill Cemetery,” Wisniewski stated in an e-mail.
“If they wanted access to the cemetery through the main gates, all they have to do is let us know, and we’ll gladly open it for them,” he said in a telephone interview.
City officials also had gone in to block the access path for vehicles, but Public Works Director Mike Schmetzer confirmed there was plenty of room for a snowmachine and foot traffic.
The controversy was part of a larger dispute that appeared after the city of Fairbanks sold the property rights to Fairbanks Funeral Home Inc. in 2007. Wisniewski blames the dispute on a lack of communication between the parties involved.
“Any time these issues arose, the current owner was bypassed and city of Fairbanks was contacted,” Wisniewski’s e-mail stated. “Several attempts to rectify these concerns were unsuccessful.”
The property lines remain in dispute between the two entities.
FNA is utilizing about 2 acres of the cemetery for burial purposes. The lot can hold anywhere from 600 to 1,000 graves. An additional 6 acres are being used for an access path directly to the plot.
When the city sold the cemetery to Fairbanks Funeral Home Inc. it was not clearly stated exactly how much land was granted to FNA.
“We were told to respect their section, just like everyone else’s section in the cemetery,” Wisniewski said.
Cemetery owners are feeling the crunch on the hill as land is becoming more and more scarce for burials.
“I can understand if they were promised land by the city, and we respect their traditions, but the documents only asked that we respect their plot but failed to let us know exactly how much land that consisted of.”
Still, city officials see it differently.
“They had adequate opportunities to know what portion of the land was designated to FNA,” Cole said.
But recently, city officials and cemetery owners with Birch Hill Inc. have learned that part of the access path and a few graves lay outside the Native plot boundaries.
Before the cemetery land disputes can be laid to rest, the city will be stepping in to re-survey the land so the owners will know exactly what land is cemetery property.
Wisniewski said he is working with FNA to find a solution.
“I’m in this business to help people, not to harm,” he said.
Community Discussion
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People argueing over a place to rent out space for the dead,simple solution get cremated and don't waste the land.
Sure it would be as "simple" for you to convert to a Jewish way of life?
It's about TRADITIONS, some people have 'em, some don't.......
As a member of the Pioneers, I was told that they aren't respecting the traditions of us. We are now being charged double for our graves in our Pioneer sections. So he is incorrect in saying they are doing this.
"City officials also had gone in to block the access path for vehicles, but Public Works Director Mike Schmetzer confirmed there was plenty of room for a snowmachine and foot traffic."
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The City sold the cemetery. Why are City officials taking it upon themselves to block access? And what good is a foot path or room for snowmachines when people want to go in for a burial and a service?
The failure to provide a legal description of the property allocated to FNA is so typical of the sloppy way the City has handled all of its cemetery dealings - even their records of who is buried where.
According to a previous article, the new owners want out of the deal. The City needs to get the property back, and then it needs to start accepting responsibility for its two cemeteries and stop treating them like stepchildren. A citizens' Cemetery Commission would be a great idea.
Alaskaflower is right.
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