November 8, 1999
Attn: Admiral Thomas "Tom" Fargo
Commander-In-Chief
U.S. Pacific Fleet
250 Makalapa Drive
Honolulu, Hawaii 96860
Subject: Repatriation & Transportation of
Ancient Chamori Remains from the Bishop Museum in Honolulu back to Guam and Saipan.
Greetings and Hafa Adai Admiral Fargo:
My name is Norbert Perez and I am the president
and founder of the "Bring Our Ancestors Home Foundation", a Hawaii-based,
non-profit organization dedicated to identifying and facilitating the repatriation of our
ancient Chamori remains and sacred artifacts back to our islands of Guam, Rota, Tinian and
Saipan.
Pursuant to the Native American Graves Act, I
am humbly requesting your assistance in providing air transportation for these sacred
remains back to Guam and Saipan. There are approximately 96 boxes of human remains stored
at the Bishop Museum, enough to fill two air freight containers, which need to be
transported back to our islands. It is important for the United States Military to become
an intregal part of this mission, primarily because it was the Navy administration which
allowed and sanctioned the violation and desecration of our ancestral gravesites in Guam,
Saipan, Tinian and Rota back in the 1920s.
I am presently in Honolulu for the Hawaii
International Film Festival plus other business and would be honored to meet with you on
this important issue. I will be calling on your Chief-Of-Staff to establish an appointment
date and time.
Si Yu'os Ma'ase' for your cooperation.
With warm personal regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
NORBERT PEREZ
President
Bring Our Ancestors Home Foundation
3075 Ala Poha Place, #602
Honolulu, Hawaii 96818
Tel/Fax: (808)839-5208
Pager: 1(888)219-2120
cc: Governor Carl Gutierrez, Guam
Governor Pedro Tenorio, CNMI
Lt. Governor Madeleine Bordallo, Guam
Congressman Robert Underwood, D-Guam
Ms. Betty Tatar, Bishop Museum, Honolulu