Tribe urges halt after remains found at Poway construction site

The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians is calling for a temporary halt to a housing development in Poway after possible Indigenous remains were uncovered at the site, raising concerns about disturbing ancestral burial grounds.

The discoveries were made at the Hidden Valley Ranch development in October of last year and again last month. Shea Homes is building 40 homes across 420 acres in Poway. The project has been planned for more than 20 years and began construction last year.

Tribal leaders say the land is historically significant.

“This is the Ipai, Kumeyaay Land,” said Johnny Bear Contreras, chairman of the San Pasqual Cultural Committee. “This is our land.”

Contreras said he was among the tribal members who visited the area after evidence of a burial site was uncovered.

“There were ancestors uncovered,” Contreras said.

“We look, and we’re all looking at each other and going, ‘Oh yeah, this is heavy. This has a lot.’ So, you know, let’s start to talk,” Contreras said.

While some work has paused in specific areas, construction has continued elsewhere on the property — a decision tribal leaders say is troubling.

“Disappointed,” Contreras said. “There’s high potential you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more graves.”

Citing federal law, the tribe has called for a full stop-work order involving Shea Homes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city of Poway. Tribal leaders say they want time to investigate and determine how to respectfully handle any remains.

“This has worked a thousand times before, and it and it needs to work here,” Contreras said.

Shea Homes said it is continuing to follow all legal requirements while working with agencies and tribal representatives.

“This development was approved by the city of Poway more than 20 years ago, and we have been working with the city and the Army Corps of Engineers in good faith since Shea acquired the site in 2025,” said Paul Barnes, division president of Shea Homes San Diego. “We will continue to comply with all legal obligations that relate to consistent site monitoring and the respectful collection and relocation of any authenticated artifacts that are discovered on site. The consulting tribes have indicated their desire to put together a respectful plan for remains that are found and we look forward to participating in those discussions.”

Contreras emphasized the tribe is not trying to stop the project entirely but is asking for more time to ensure proper handling of ancestral remains.

“Mistakes will happen, and that’s our biggest concern,” Contreras said.

The city of Poway said the project was approved in 2003 following a full environmental impact report that analyzed impacts on tribal resources and included required notifications and mitigation measures.

City officials said a tribal monitor has been on site daily during construction, along with regular oversight from a city inspector. The city has also been coordinating with the California attorney general’s office and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Officials noted they are limited in what details they can share publicly about the discoveries due to confidentiality requirements.

The city said it has issued stop-work orders and established buffers around sensitive areas but added that broader enforcement authority lies with state and federal agencies.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.