Construction crews at the University of California, Berkeley immediately halted construction of an outdoor volleyball court when they encountered human remains. Under California law, notifications go out to state officials and to any tribes that might be descendants. Such procedures are not always followed, even when the law is clear cut. A number of recent discoveries of remains in California and elsewhere have drawn criticism from graves protections advocates and others for how they were handled. We’ll look at some recent cases and assess the current state of the public’s understanding of sacred ancestors’ remains.