As Needed
Betty Magnuson
Fancis Mitchell
Bob Sattler (TCC)
Joe Petruska
Sandra Gochenhauer
Erin Norback

MNVC is currently planning a burial for the remains that were found, we are patterning with MTNT, TCC Doyon, (list rest here)

Date of Burial: The current plan is to have the burial in 2025

Place of Burial: McGrath Cemetery

Other items:

  • Permanent casket that makes it possible to conduct additional studies of the remains if that is decided.
  • Appropriate storage at UAF for small bone segment(s) so that additional DNA analyses might be conducted.
  • A community event besides the burial service itself: Feast, Expert speakers, Village Elders, etc.
  • Request to Jennifer Rath to conduct a DNA project regarding health implications; living relatives.
  • Video story being produced by TCC media department.
  • Related artifacts to be put on permanent display in the McGrath Museum.
  • Funding being sought from MTNT for fence-security of the discovery site.

Some things still to be determined:

In 2012, during construction of a conservation levee along the Kuskokwim River in the Native Village of McGrath, workers noticed a shallowly-buried human skull that had been revealed by earth-clearing activity. This discovery became known as the “Tochak McGrath Discovery.”
Under the direction of the TCC Archaeology Program, a forensic research group determined that the find included three intact human skeletal remains and the remains of a dog. Stone artifacts found close to the remains indicated that the human remains were from individuals who lived before Russian-American colonization.

Through an agreement with the landowners, McGrath-Takotna-Nikolai-Telida Ltd. Corporation (MTNT), the McGrath Tribal Council and Tanana Chiefs Conference, the remains and artifacts were brought to TCC for further study after proper funerary ceremonies for spiritual protection were completed.

Study

Direct radiocarbon dating of the skeletal materials has indicated that these human remains are approximately 600 years old. Using genetic testing, it was determined that two of the three are male with ages at death estimated to be around 35-40, 19-20 and 2-3 years. The determination of ages at death was based on bone development, arthritic wearing and tooth eruption patterns. Genetic sequencing has shown that the oldest individual had a different mother than the two younger individuals.

All three recorded a marine-based diet, indicating that they were highly dependent on salmon. Additional DNA testing promises to provide further details about their life and give insight to the early life-ways of Upper Kuskokwim people.

After the completion of forensic studies, the remains will be returned to the McGrath Native Village for a traditional burial and ceremony.

Publications

TCC Archaeology Program’s research of the Tochak Discovery has been presented at the annual meeting of the Alaskan Anthropological Association, as well as numerous press releases and local radio interviews in McGrath. The results of this research are currently progressing with the help of collaborators in medicine and archaeology fields.

Research on this project was partially funded by the US Department of Agriculture and a grant from the National Science Foundation, Arctic Social Sciences program.

Meetings

The Tochak Burial Committee meeting dates vary, please call MNVC 907-524-3024 with any questions.

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