Posted on 12/10/2012 5:30:09 AM PST by IbJensen
(CNSNews.com) – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Dec. 6 released a report that urges the U.S. Forest Service to work more closely with tribal governments in protecting, respectfully interpreting, and giving appropriate access to sites that are sacred to American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
"American Indian and Alaska Native values and culture have made our nation rich in spirit and deserve to be honored and respected," Vilsack said. "By honoring and protecting sacred sites on national forests and grasslands, we foster improved tribal relationships and a better understanding of native people's deep reverence for natural resources and contributions to society."
The report provides Vilsack with information about how U.S. Forest Service is currently protecting American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) sacred sites on federal lands and how USDA and the Forest Service might improve the way those sacred sites are protected.
Among the recommendations is for U.S. Forest Service employees to receive training about tribal history, law, and cultural sensitivities.
The report also recommends expanding the definition of “sacred sites,” which now is limited by executive order to “specific, discrete, narrowly delineated locations” of “religious significance.”
That definition, the report says, “may be too narrow and inconsistent with the AI/AN view of sacredness.” The report said a “broader concept” of “sacred places” should be considered.
"It is our hope that the recommendations contained in this Final Report will lead to meaningful changes in the way AI/AN sacred sites are protected and accessed," the report says.
It is now up to the Agriculture Secretary to move forward with specific policy changes to address the report’s recommendations.
The report released last week is a response to Vilsack’s request in 2010 for the USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations and the USDA’s Forest Service to talk with American Indian and Alaska Native tribal leaders to find out how USDA can do a better job of accommodating and protecting AI/AN sacred sites while simultaneously pursuing the Forest Service’s multiple-use mission.
The appointed team conducted more than 100 meetings or conversations with tribal members; and it also asked for input from Forest Service employees. ‘Reaching a balance’ USDA’s U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forests and grasslands, which are visited by millions of Americans and foreign tourists -- "each of whom has a different relationship with the land and a different perspective on what activities are appropriate," the report said.
The Forest Service is required by law to administer the national forests for purposes of outdoor recreation, grazing, timber, watershed, and wildlife and fish purposes; to analyze the environmental impacts of its decisions; to protect threatened and endangered species; and to conduct research.
In doing so, the Forest Service is supposed to strike a balance between the public’s needs and desires and the need to protect sacred sites, manage sacred places, and provide for Tribal traditional and cultural practices, the report says. “The protection of sacred sites must be a value we will strive to protect; it cannot be an afterthought or be less than our other values. When sacred sites protection is in conflict with other uses, Forest Service employees must be mindful and creative in reaching for balance."
The report also says: "Economic and recreational drivers are important in land management decision making, but not more or less important than sacred sites concerns. In the past, however, the Forest Service has not always thoroughly considered sacred sites concerns, balanced sacred sites concerns with other values or used its discretion in land management decisions to find creative ways of incorporating protections for sacred sites in its decisions."
‘These voices instruct us’
The report notes that the Forest Service has “fiduciary obligations” to tribes, even though “we know so little about AI/AN (American Indian/Alaskan Native) sacred sites as an agency.”
“It is through the voices of the AI/AN people that we are learning about and affirming the real importance of sacred sites; these voices instruct us."
The reporting team says it heard many concerns from the tribes about the Forest Service’s authorization of recreational activities, including rock climbing, interpretation, outfitting and guiding, and off-highway vehicle use.
“Specifically, we heard numerous concerns with the Forest Service’s decision to allow the use of reclaimed wastewater for creating artificial snow at the Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area in the San Francisco Peaks from many who strongly urged the agency to reverse this decision.”
Native Americans consider the Peaks to be sacred ground, and they say the use of treated sewage to make snow is a desecration. So far, the federal courts have ruled against them.
The Forest Service owns the land where the resort is located.
Partial list of some of the “sacred sites” listed for protection. Many are on private land.
The Glen Cove Shellmound site in Vallejo, California, known to the Ohlone Peoples as Sogorea Te;
Black Mesa, sacred homelands of the Dine’ (Navajo) and Hopi Peoples;
The Mound temples and historic villages of the Muscogee in Mississippi;
The Traditional Ceremonial lands of the Karuk in northern California;
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, known to the Gwich’in as “the sacred place where life begins”;
Red Butte, a sacred place to the Havasupai, threatened by uranium mining;
Eagle Rock, a spiritual site threatened by a nickel and copper sulfide mine;
The Sacred Headwaters of northern British Colombia, threatened by coalbed methane gas developments
Teztan Biny, also in British Colombia, which may be soon turned into a mine waste dump site.
Tsankui Theda, a sacred site to the Denesoline of Lutsel K’e/Kache Dene First Nation, and many other tribes, threatened by a proposed Hydro Expansion project;
The San Francisco Peaks, held sacred by over 13 Indigenous Nations;
The sacred Cherokee site of Kituwah, threatened by a new electrical station;
The Shoshone Spiritual site of Mount Tenabo, threatened by an open pit gold mine;
Mount Graham and Apache Leap, sacred to the San Carlos Apache;
Several Sacred sites and burial grounds within the Porcupine Provincial Forest in Saskatchewan;
Several Haudenosuanee burial mounds in Toronto’s High Park, threatened by development and recreational activities;
The Sutter Buttes of Northern California, sacred to the Maidu and Wintun;
The McCloud River Watershed, sacred to the Winnemem Wintu;
Ancient Haudenosuanee Burial Mounds in Toronto’s High Park, threatened by development and recreational activities
The sacred sites of the O’odham, threatened by a new freeway project.
I poop on their “sacred” land. All this is is another reason to limit public access and use of “public” land.
And don't forget this little bit of news: Moonbound Ashes Offend Tribes.(New Mexico & Metro)
Yes, the entire freaking moon was declared a sacred place for the Indians.
"Reclaimed wastewater"?
How "reclaimed" is it?
Has it been treated, or are they going to spray "snow" on the hills which will make the grass grow greener than ever in the spring?
(Don't ski on yellow snow!)
Who's sins are you referring to?
Reality: Every race has been guilty, none is without sin. Just some quit sooner than others, and then not all quit.
Archoeological surveys are mandatory for any proposed drill site and access road right of way on BLM land, and have been that way for years.
I have no problem with American Indians having sacred sites, nor with them having them on Public Land, but I am seeing a pattern in a list posted above. The war on extracting our own resources continues.
American Indians would be wise to remember that what the Government has taken, it will take again if it wants to. Beware of the Great Mulatto Father: he speaks with forked teleprompter.
If it is Federal Land, access is already limited, and use of resources severely controlled or barred. Poop in your own yard, if you can’t use a toilet.
How about protecting Christian “sacred places”!
So, the “Sacred Indian Burial Grounds” schtik has run it’s course, now it is the “Sacred Places” schtik.
Like Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land.
I was wrong. I thought Bronco Bama was a Kenyan.
Because this evil central socialist government and the emperor are our worst enemies!
12. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t.
11. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
10. I voted Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
9. I voted Democrat because I’m way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.
8. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can’t tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.
7. I voted Democrat because I’m not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
6. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits, and we should take away the social security from those who paid into it.
5. I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrats see fit.
4. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
3. I voted Democrat because I think that it’s better to pay billions to people who hate us for their oil, but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle, gopher or fish.
2. I voted Democrat because while we live in the greatest, most wonderful country in the world, I was promised “HOPE AND CHANGE”.
And, finally, the No. 1 reason I voted Democrat:
1. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my rectal cavity, it’s unlikely that I’ll ever have another point of view.”
All true. Especially No. 1.
my mom is an english professor at a tribal college. She was told by the administration that her course was too tough. She was using the same course work that she used as an 8th grade course she had taught before. If she wouldnt have used a curve her entire class would have failed.
This is Agenda 21
Lowered expectations do not help students. Sad.
The indian’s of course.
I mess with the liberal on this all the time.
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