Tribe responds to allegations of damage at Native sites

(AP) - The chairman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes says any damage to cultural sites near Lake Havasu would be blatantly disrespectful to Native Americans.
    
Dennis Patch made the comment Wednesday after the tribe's Historic Preservation Office learned some sites could have been damaged or destroyed.
    
A former archaeologist for Arizona State Parks and Trails, Will Russell, has alleged the agency has a history of advancing projects by ignoring regulations that protect cultural sites and artifacts.
    
The State Department of Administration says it's reviewing Russell's accusations.
    
Patch says cultural sites near Lake Havasu likely are those of Mohave and possibly Chemehuevi, two of the four tribes that make up the Colorado River Indian Tribes.
    
He says the tribe wants to know what happened, remedy any damage and hold people accountable.