The proposed toll road extension "was specifically designed to avoid the densest of archaeological sites" and avoid known or suspected burial areas, added Jennifer Seaton, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which is based in Irvine.
"Our agency has been very sensitive about the cultural resources that are near the toll road's proposed alignment."
The agency is in talks with Juaneño leaders about mitigation for the turnpike, she said.
"That's part of our responsibility, and we will stop work to deal with any unanticipated discoveries of remains," Seaton said.
Juaneño leaders who have attended those talks but who did not want to be identified said they told the agency they didn't support the road but wanted to hear what mitigating measures might be taken.
Tribal leaders said they had worked successfully with the toll road agency in the past.
After they voiced concerns about three archaeological sites in Weir Canyon, the agency modified its alignment of the 241 to protect them.
Seaton said it was premature to make similar assumptions about Panhe, but "we are talking."
But some coalition members don't want to discuss any alternatives to preserving Panhe.
The coalition includes several factions of the Mission Indians, some who have battled one another in a 20-year fight to win federal recognition.
"We've come together on this," said David Belardes, a tribal chairman of one group.
Without federal recognition, the Juaneños have no land or reservation they can claim as their own, said tribal leaders who fear their culture is becoming lost as each generation passes.
Yet Juaneños have a special niche in the history of California.
Panhe is mentioned in the baptismal register at Mission San Juan Capistrano, which was founded in 1776 by Father Junipero Serra. Two years later, Serra baptized 16 Native Americans, including some from Panhe.
In 1988 Pope John Paul II beatified Serra, the second of three steps necessary for sainthood.
Many Indians and academics condemned the decision, pointing to the harsh conditions of mission life and Serra's justification of beatings.
Even Juaneños disagree about whether their ancestors benefited from the introduction of European culture.
Some rail about how their ancestors constructed mission buildings and harvested food under Serra's harsh discipline, while others note with pride that Cristianitos Road near Panhe was named in recognition of some of the first baptisms of their people in Orange County.
