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Native American Remains Won't Halt LA Center Construction

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officials with a Mexican-American cultural center being built in downtown Los Angeles plan to meet with representatives of the Roman Catholic archdiocese and Indian leaders over concerns that human remains unearthed during construction are being disturbed.

But LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes spokeswoman Katie Dunham said Monday that the center's planners don't intend to halt work ahead of those meetings.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles owns the construction site that was once the location of a 19th century church and cemetery. Church officials say they were never told that extensive remains were found at the site.

The state Native American Heritage Commission, meanwhile, has asked for a halt to work because of fears that Indian remains were being mishandled at the site.

Dunham says the center is appropriately handling all remains.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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