Modern Entrance to the Cemetery

Wyandot (Wyandotte) National Burying Ground serves as a sacred final resting place for around six hundred to eight hundred people of Wyandot descent, starting with those who perished on the arduous and forced journey from their homes in the Great Lakes to what is now Kansas City, Kansas. Generations of Wyandot are buried in the cemetery, and thanks to the actions of tribal members starting with Eliza "Lyda" Burton Conley and her sisters Helena and Ida, most of this cemetery was spared from development. Through armed occupation of the cemetery and legal efforts, the sisters were able to thwart development plans and preserve the burial grounds at several moments in the early 20th century. Although some of the cemetery was lost to urban development in the mid-20th century, the grounds are a National Landmark. As history has shown, not even a federal treaty can guarantee the preservation of the cemetery, but more people are learning the historical significance of the site thanks to the current efforts of tribal members, historians, and local residents.

Anielak, Katy and Clio Admin. "The Conley Sisters and Wyandot National Burying Ground." Clio: Your Guide to History. February 5, 2022. Accessed December 13, 2023. https://theclio.com/entry/143064

Interview of Judith Manthe, Principal Chief of the Wyandot, with David Trowbridge, December 13, 2023.