Native Americans who call Bluff, Utah, home are happy with the recent arrests made in conjunction with the trafficking of Native American artifacts.  The Salt Lake Tribune reports that while many think the two dozen arrests are excessive, members of the Navajo Nation think it’s a step in the right direction.

“They say it’s just a hobby,” said Baxter Randolph Benaly a Navajo who lives
near Bluff.  “To us, it’s not a hobby.  It’s part of our culture.  They should be left alone.”

Benaly was the recipient of the 2007 DesignBuildBLUFF home and has been a longtime resident of Bluff.  He explains that many of the artifacts are items that hold special spiritual meanings for the Navajo.  They believe these items will help the dead reach the next world.

Relics have been recovered from as far away as Germany.  After the artifacts are returned to the reservation they will receive a ritual cleansing before being placed back in the earth.