They are unaware of how frequently graves are moved or disturbed. Often when I mention some instance of White graves being disturbed, a cemetery being abandoned or destroyed, they react in surprise that such activities are, in fact, legal. Despite this widespread reverence for the sanctity of the grave, cemeteries, both White and Indian, are frequently destroyed or disturbed in upstate New York. The respect for the sanctity of the grave would appear to be a relatively weak or ambiguous concept in the modern United States which is likely to be set aside for economic or other considerations unless forcefully defended. The movement of graves does not appear to be problematic as long as the burials are handled with respect and reinterred in an appropriate place.
Marked graves are far more likely to be respected left alone, or reburied than unmarked graves.
Graves are regarded as being primarily of concern to the family of the deceased and of far less importance to the community church, or state. The justification for respecting graves is based more on a consideration for the feelings of descendants than concern for the spiritual well-being or sacredness of the dead. The cultural practices and norms evident in Broome County are taken for granted by the people of Broome County and regarded as timeless. They are, in fact, the product of a history beginning with Medieval practices. White attitudes towards burials From the Middle Ages until the present, western culture has included a belief in the sanctity of the grave.