State and tribal leaders should have an agreement approved today on how to proceed with removing the remains of two American Indians discovered at a state Department of Transportation work site last week.

The remains were unearthed last Wednesday by workers installing a traffic signal at Highway 530 and Arlington Heights Road. Bits of clothing, cedar and a bead also were found.

Because the discovery is close to a former Stillaguamish village, the tribe has taken responsibility for the remains' removal and reburial.

Officials with the state Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation said yesterday that an agreement for exhuming the remains and conducting further archaeological studies was being reviewed by tribal attorneys. Department of Transportation (DOT) officials plan to begin studies as soon as the document is signed, state Historic Preservation Officer Allyson Brooks said.

Details of the plan were not available yesterday.

State transportation officials said Monday that they would discontinue work on the $1 million project until an agreement could be reached. The area needs to be studied further to be sure more remains aren't present.

The DOT has been meeting with Stillaguamish tribal leaders and officials from the Tulalip Tribes, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, the governor's Office of Indian Affairs and Brooks' office.

"We want this to be very respectful of the tribe," said DOT spokeswoman Melanie Coon. "We're in the process where everything is sensitive, and the site is sacred."

The DOT has constructed a shelter over the remains, and department staff members and tribal police have been guarding the site, which is off-limits to the public.

Tribal members met last week to pray over the remains but have not commented on the agreement proposal.

That's not unusual, said Craig Bill, the acting director of the governor's Office of Indian Affairs.

"This is a very typical process," Bill said. "The tribe has been there the whole time, and there's been no variation from that."

Christopher Schwarzen: 425-783-0577 or cschwarzen@seattletimes.com