Printed in the Santa Fe New Mexican
(The Associated Press, August 2, 2004)
BLOOMFIELD - More than 430 Indian artifacts ranging up to thousands of years
old have been seized from a local residence in what one agent describes as
"the single largest recovery of my career."
U.S. Bureau of Land Management investigator R. Tracy said he has been a
federal officer for 10 years.
In a case reminiscent of a Tony Hillerman novel, hundreds of stone tools,
including arrow points, cutting edges, cookware and other trade items were
recovered from the home of David Major, 38, investigators said.
Among objects recovered was a rare and somewhat damaged lidded pot found
with blue and purple Spanish trade beads believed to be from the 1700s.
If the items were taken from federal or American Indian lands, that could be
a violation of the U.S. Archaeological Resource Protection Act, he said.
Many artifacts were wrapped in small individual clear plastic bags.
The discovery was made as a result of a traffic stop on Bloomfield Highway
July 12.
Farmington police arrested Clinton Ferrier, 31, of Farmington, on five
counts of commercial burglary and related charges after he was caught with a
large amount of copper wiring taken from Saulsbury Electric, Detective Sgt.
Ken Walker said.
As the investigation progressed, police suspected Ferrier and Major
allegedly committed 10 commercial burglaries, Walker said. Subsequently
police obtained a search warrant for Majors' residence where the Indian
artifacts were found July 25. Charges related to the artifacts are pending.