By Sarah Elizabeth Villicana
The Porterville Recorder
April 5, 2007
Sheriff's detectives recovered nearly 100 Indian artifacts from a Ducor home after a theft was reported to the Tule River Tribal Police.
Last week, the Tribal Police initiated an investigation into the removal of ancient Indian artifacts from the Tule River Reservation.
Tribal Police Lt. Thomas Ludwig said officials were notified by a member of the tribe who said artifacts were being removed from the reservation.
The reporting party said Jarvis Hamill, 30, had been staying with him at his home of the reservation, according to Ludwig.
Within hours of receiving the report, the artifacts were recovered at a Ducor residence, according to a statement from the Tribal Police.
The unidentified items were located on the 25000 block of Avenue 72 in Ducor.
The Tulare County Sheriff's Department was called to assist in the recovery of the artifacts because they were found off reservation lands.
Hamill was arrested and faces federal charges under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979.
The stolen items included ground tools, pistols and acorn mortars.
“This is a clear example of interagency cooperation at its best,” Ludwig said.
Contact Sarah Villicana at 784-5000, Ext. 1045, or svillicana@portervillerecorder.com