The sacred San Francisco Peaks in Arizona. Photo by Tyler finvold / Wikipedia
The Navajo Nation is taking its fight to protect the sacred San Francisco Peaks in Arizona to a new forum. The tribe filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against the United States for allowing the desecration of the sacred mountain. The move comes after the courts refused to stop a privately-owned ski resort from using reclaimed sewage to make snow on federal land. “We want the United States to respect our spiritual beliefs and business entities should also have respect for us to continue our spiritual beliefs," Henry Barber, the president of the Diné Medicine Men’s Association, said in a press release. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an arm of the Organization of American States, of which the United States is a member. Although it lacks real authority over the government, the case could help spur political and other pressure to address the situation. “The US needs to take full responsibility by committing to protect Navajo human rights in accordance with its obligations under the OAS Charter,” Leonard Gorman, the executive director of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission said in the press release. Get the Story:
Navajos file human-rights petition over Snowbowl resort (The Arizona Republic 3/4)
Navajo Nation Files Petition Against U.S. Over Sacred Mountain (Fronteras 3/3)
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