Grave matter

Sjobor Hammer is passionate about unsung stories.

That includes the saga of the Salina Indian burial grounds and the federal law that was written as a result.

National History Day judges agreed the story fit this year's theme of conflict and compromise.

In June, the panel of jurists in Washington, D.C., awarded Hammer, a Topeka teenager, the gold medal and a $4,000 prize for her short documentary, "Bones of Contention: Battling For Human Dignity at the Salina Indian Burial Site."