Wal-Mart is literally trying to raise the dead to make way for their controversial store in West Nashville. For at least the fourth time in as many years, Wal-Mart has chosen to build on land where Native American artifacts and burial remains exist. The West Nashville project has stirred up more than artifacts. “We will bodily oppose the removal of these graves up and to the point of civil disobedience,” pledged Native American attorney Al Bender. The 62 acre, 370,000 s.f. project for a Wal-Mart and a Lowe’s is near a funeral home and an elementary school.West Meade residents have told the City Council they don’t want a Wal-Mart supercenter in their neighborhood. Ironically, Wal-Mart is proposing their new store roughly one mile from an existing Wal-Mart. Angry citizens have gathered signatures to try and recall the City Councilor who has been promoting the projecct. Native Americans have asked consumers to boycott Wal-Mart, and have continued to demonstrate at the building site. “Enough people have been pushed around by big corporations and greedy developers around here,” says Toye Heape, President of the Alliance for Native American Indian Rights, “that we might actually make an impact and get their attention.” Wal-Mart had to stop site preparation in Catskill, NY when indian graves were uncovered. Wal-Mart has already removed a number of remains from the Nashville site.
Contact Al Bender, Alliance for Native American Rights at 615-641-3395, or Victor Scoggin, President of Save the Cumberland, at 615-353-7805.
