Pokanoket Tribe disappointed by Barrington Town Council’s decision with burial site

By Josh Bickford

The Pokanoket Tribe has weighed in on a recent variance granted by members of the Barrington Town Council.

Don "Strong Turtle" Brown, the tribal historian for the Pokanoket Tribe, wrote a letter to the Barrington Times this week challenging the council’s handling of the variance request.

Last month, councilors voted 5-0 to approve a variance granting the property owners of 56 Elm Lane permission to construct a driveway that encroaches the buffer of a Native American burial site. The site was discovered while crews were building the waterfront home.

Construction paused while an archaeology lab completed a study at the site; the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission later issued a letter that concurred with Public Archaeology Lab survey finding