Is the Loker area a historical, archaeological, religious or ceremonial sensitive area?

The Loker field project was designed to comply with the Historical Commission's directive to avoid any ceremonially and historically significant areas, as were laid out in the 2013 survey of the property.  

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In 2013 the Town worked with the Technology Integration Group, Inc. (TIG) and the Narragansett Indian Tribal Historic Preservation Office (NITHPO) to assess the 8.4 acres of the Loker Recreation parcel for both tribal and archaeological areas of ceremonial significance. The survey was completed by field researchers in collaboration with the Narragansett, Mohegan, and Wampanoag at Gay Head (Aquinnah) Tribal Historic Preservation Offices between August 1 and September 28, 2013. 

The goal of the survey was to identify stone groupings and other features that are ceremonially significant and should be considered for preservation. This effort to map the ceremonial landscapes in Wayland, began with historical document research, examination of historical and topographic maps, and a literature review of previously excavated archaeological sites to review information about how Tribal people of New England previously used this landscape. While much of the area was disturbed by the 1962 construction of the Dow Chemical, Inc. property and then the subsequent cleanup of the Dow site, some areas appeared to have been undisturbed or but minimally impacted.

In 2013, the Town received the study, but in order to protect the area that is considered historically significant the document is not a public document.  The Loker project designers developed a map of "avoidance areas" that protects the historically significant areas based on the results of the study.

In April 2019, a representative from NITHPO sent the town a request to re-assess the area and "design to avoid impacts to the ceremonial stones." 

The Loker project was designed to avoid the areas that are of historical and ceremonial significance. The Recreation Commission believes and confirmed with the Historical Commission that the 2019 request erroneously relied on information that the area of the Loker project expended beyond the areas previously surveyed, which it does not.

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