"A federal judge's ruling Tuesday ends a lawsuit over construction of new telescopes on Kitt Peak but opens a new chapter in the continuing clash between culture and science on the mountain southwest of Tucson.

Science stands to suffer unless those who would pursue it demonstrate new and extraordinary levels of respect and accommodation for American Indian beliefs.

Vivian Juan-Saunders, chairwoman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, said in an interview Friday that her people want no more construction at the site. What's more, they want to revisit past construction there to see whether it was consistent with the need to maintain the mountain as a sacred place - linked to I'itoi, a central figure in the O'odham creation story."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Ruling settles little about Kitt Peak's future (The Arizona Daily Star 8/1)

Relevant Links:
National Science Foundation - http://www.nsf.gov

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