While we greatly applaud Congressman Pallone's outspoken efforts to protect our Sacred Sites, we must also realize that one of the major perpetrators of desecrations are not only the oil & mining companies, but our small town governments. We live in Bay City, Michigan, and our town fathers have been continually digging up & building on a small parcel of land where over 300 native bodies have been disinterred since 1967. Also, a part of this land was declared a National Historic Site in 1967 & we have good reason to believe that a marina was built on it, but no one will tell us exactly where the site is! Now, a plan has been developed to build condos on this Sacred Site. We have tried, to no avail, to stop this travesty. We wish Congressman Pallone the best of luck & may Creator walk with him. Sandra Harrington, Pres...Native American Pride Committee...3256 Knight Court..Bay City, Mich..48706; (989)684-9930
>From: Andre Cramblit <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: Native News <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Protecting Sacred Sites
>Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 14:31:30 -0700
>
>============================================================
>GET A FREE TRIAL ISSUE OF RED HERRING MAGAZINE
>Find out how new technologies and innovative companies are
>shaping the future of business & finance. Please click here:
>http://click.topica.com/caaaq1oa2iVRFa4lXLTa/RedHerring
>============================================================
>
> Protecting American Indian sacred sites
>
>Posted: July 09, 2002 - 2:00pm EST by: Frank Pallone Jr. / Congressman, D -
>N.J., Guest columnist / House of Representatives / U.S. Congress
>
>At a time when our nation�s oil and mining exploration and extraction
>activities are creeping further and further into the last pristine spaces
>of America, I have been outspoken in urging my colleagues in Congress to
>resist the temptation to support further intrusion on American Indian
>sacred lands.
>
>Between 1887 and 1934, the U.S. Government took control of 90 million acres
>of land from American Indian tribal governments without compensation --
>including sacred lands. Between 1945 and 1968, Congress decided that
>federal recognition and assistance to more than 100 tribal governments
>should be terminated, creating economic and socio-political disaster and
>resulting in millions of acres of valuable land being lost through tax
>forfeiture sales.
>
>Congress has since moved to rectify its prior decisions by recognizing a
>number of previously terminated tribal governments and passing Indian
>tribal self-determination and self-governance policies. As a result, tribal
>governments today have greater control over their lands and resources. They
>have made great strides toward reversing the economic and social blight
>that resulted from previous federal policies, and have strengthened their
>communities.
>
>While Congress and the federal government have come a long way, it is
>important that we withstand pressure from groups that call for backtracking
>to old Indian policies, such as termination, reduction of tribal sovereign
>rights and desecrating and damaging sacred sites.
>
>Traveling throughout Indian country, I have heard from numerous American
>Indian people that the practice of Indian spirituality requires undisturbed
>access to culturally significant sites and their resources. Such
>spirituality is irrevocably tied to specific places, which derive their
>power and sacredness from their natural undisturbed state. American Indians
>consider the earth sacred, whereas secular culture considers the earth to
>be real estate. Sacred lands, and ceremonies associated with such lands,
>are a necessary expression of Indian spirituality, and often are key to
>wellness. Sacred lands are part of the history of Indian peoples, and are a
>significant part of the traditions handed from one generation to another.
>
>As history often demonstrates, it is hard for the strong to give up their
>ingrained habit of overpowering the weak, but it is essential if we are to
>make multiethnic societies like ours work. As Americans, we must become
>more tolerant and widen our definitions of what constitutes appropriate
>sacred places.
>
>In 1978, recognizing the need to protect American Indian spirituality
>through the religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S.
>Constitution, Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.
>While this legislation served many of its intended purposes, it also
>established an avenue by which lawsuits could be brought to undermine
>sacred lands and the ceremonies associated with those lands. The lawsuits
>have resulted in further desecration and damage of sacred places and
>continued a pattern of sacrificing Indian spirituality to the interests of
>dominating groups.
>
>I have urged my colleagues in Congress to support the Valley of Chiefs
>Native American Sacred Site Preservation Act, which was introduced by Rep.
>Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.
>
>This legislation would safeguard an area sacred to many American Indian
>people in Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota and Oklahoma. I commend
>my colleague, Rep. Rahall for introducing this legislation to prohibit the
>Secretary of Interior from issuing oil and gas drilling permits in this
>sacred place.
>
>In addition to supporting the Valley of Chiefs Native American Sacred Site
>Preservation Act, I call for additional sacred lands legislation to be
>developed in consultation with Indian country. Congress must enact the
>establishment of a government-wide, effective and comprehensive procedure
>that safeguards against the loss of additional American Indian and Alaska
>Native sacred lands.
>
>There is not a lot of time left to act before more sacred lands, such as
>Mount Shasta and Medicine Lake of California, Devil�s Tower and Black Hills
>of South Dakota, to name a few, are further desecrated and damaged.
>
>Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., D--N.J., currently serves as an active
>member of the Native American Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives.
>As a member of the House Resources Committee -- the committee with
>jurisdiction over all matters regarding the relations of the United States
>with Native Americans and American Indian tribes -- he has been a defender
>of the sovereign status of Indian tribal governments.
>
>This article can be found at http://IndianCountry.com/?1026154841
>
>--
>
>André Cramblit: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Operations Director
>Northern California Indian Development Council NCIDC (http://www.ncidc.org)
>is a non-profit that meets the development needs of American Indians and
>operates an art gallery featuring the art of California tribes
>(http://www.americanindianonline.com)
>
>COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN INDIANS/NATIVE
>AMERICANS/ALASKAN NATIVES & HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS. For news of interest to
>Natives subscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>or go to:
>http://www.topica.com/lists/NativeAmericanNews/subscribe/?location=listinfo
>
>============================================================
>Sponsor a child today through Children International. Give
>a desperately poor child hope for a brighter future. For
>only $15 a month you can make a difference!
>http://click.topica.com/caaaqT2a2iVRFa4lXLTf/ChildrenInternational
>============================================================
>
>
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: Click Here
--
André Cramblit: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Operations Director Northern California Indian Development Council NCIDC (http://www.ncidc.org) is a non-profit that meets the development needs of American Indians and operates an art gallery featuring the art of California tribes (http://www.americanindianonline.com)
COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN INDIANS/NATIVE AMERICANS/ALASKAN NATIVES & HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS. For news of interest to Natives subscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/NativeAmericanNews/subscribe/?location=listinfo
Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate Clemency for Leonard Peltier. Sign the Petition. http://petitiononline.com/Release/petition.html
==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1ddNB.b2HgmN Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
