Confrontation over ceremony at sacred peaks
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Filed Under:
Environment
Tribal members who went to the San Francisco Peaks to pray were confronted by the manager of a ski resort, The Navajo Hopi-Observer reports.
The Save the Peaks Coalition went to the Snowbowl ski resort on opening day last Wednesday.
Klee Benally, who is Navajo, said he and others were told to leave by the general manager.
"I told the Snowbowl representative that this was my church, I would not leave my church because this is where I pray," Benally told the paper. As the group left the mountain, Benally said they were stopped and questioned by a U.S. Forest Service agent.
Snowbowl is located on public land within the Coconino National Forest. The Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and other tribes in the Southwest are fighting a decision by the Forest Service to allow the ski resort to use reclaimed wastewater to make snow. A ruling is pending from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Get the Story:
Tribal members face harassment on sacred Peaks
(The Navajo Hopi-Observer 1/30)
Listen to Oral Arguments:
Navajo
Nation v. Forest Service (September 14, 2006)
Appeals Court Documents:
Opening
Brief [Word DOC] |
Reply
Brief [Word DOC]
Lower Court Decision:
Navajo
Nation v. US Forest Service (January 11, 2006)
Approval Documents:
Final
Environmental Impact Statement for Arizona Snowbowl Facilities Improvement |
Forest
Service Approves Snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl
Relevant Links:
Save the Peaks Coalition -
http://www.savethepeaks.orgCoconino
National Forest -
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/index.shtml
Related Stories:
Southwest tribes to continue fight for sacred
site (11/14)
Tribes hopeful after
court hears sacred site case (09/19)
9th
Circuit hears from tribes in sacred site case (9/15)
Tribes press sacred site case before 9th Circuit
(9/14)
9th Circuit to hear sacred site
case on Thursday (9/13)
Southwest tribes
go to court for sacred site (9/6)
Navajo
Nation appeals court ruling on snowmaking (02/28)
Tribal coalition to appeal ruling on sacred peaks
(1/13)
Judge allows snowmaking in sacred
Arizona peaks (1/12)
Babbitt under fire
for role in sacred site case (12/12)
Navajo president testifies in sacred site trial
(11/03)
Trial over snowmaking in sacred
peaks begins (10/24)
Sacred Mountain
Motorcycle Run this weekend (10/14)
Judge calls trial on snowmaking in sacred peaks
(10/10)
U.S. argues against protecting
sacred peaks in Arizona (10/7)
Hopi
Chair: Ski area plan will destroy our culture (09/23)
Hopi Tribe joins lawsuit over snowmaking in
peaks (07/08)
Bruce Babbitt fighting
tribes on sacred site appeal (7/5)
Forest Service rejects tribal appeals on
snowmaking (06/10)
Tribes await appeal
on snowmaking plan (6/7)
Appeals filed
to snowmaking plan in sacred peaks (04/26)
Navajo Nation considers appeal of snowmaking
plan (03/15)
Editorial: Sacred peaks
don't belong to tribes alone (3/14)
Tribes blast OK of snowmaking plan in sacred peaks
(3/9)
Deadline nears on snowmaking in
sacred peaks plan (04/09)
Hopi Tribe
to protest against snowmaking plan (03/19)
Editorial: Ski area helped by snowmaking
plan (02/20)
Navajo Nation not
planning boycott for sacred site (2/20)
Coalition protests snowmaking in sacred peaks
(2/18)
Tribes to fight snowmaking in
sacred Ariz. peaks (02/03)
Forest
Service delays report on ski area expansion (12/02)
Hopi Tribe opposing snowmaking in sacred
peaks (11/20)
Ski area
on sacred mountain expanding (10/15)
Copyright © Indianz.Com
Subscribe