"Would Christians stand for some bureaucrat telling them they don't belong to a government-recognized congregation and thus are not allowed to worship as they see fit?

The situation facing the Winnemem Wintu and their canceled coming-of-age ceremony on Lake Shasta isn't precisely comparable, but it's close enough to give readers a sense of the frustration the Shasta County Indians feel at being told their tribe doesn't rate the respectful treatment it would be due if it had a federal stamp of approval.

They deserve better, and the cancellation of a coming-of-age ceremony on Lake Shasta after the tribe couldn't win a weekend closure of a short stretch of the McCloud arm ought to prompt a rethinking of the policies that hobble the U.S. Forest Service.

We don't fault the Shasta-Trinity National Forest for its stance that it doesn't have the authority to close the lake. The Forest Service operates under a heavy burden of overlapping laws, regulations, policies and court orders. And it serves diverse constituents who are never shy about calling a lawyer when they think a forest has failed to follow every rule to the letter."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Recognized or not, tribe's rites deserve respect from the law (The Redding Record-Searchlight 7/15)

Related Stories:
Winnemem Wintu Tribe cites fears for canceling girls ceremony (7/14)
Mark Franco: Winnemem Wintu is inconvenient tribe once again (7/5)
Opinion: Heckling of Winnemem Wintu Tribe hurts us all (5/31)
Opinion: Winnemem Wintu Tribe outraged by federal fishkill (5/20)
Caleen Sisk-Franco: Help protect sacred ceremonial site (5/12)