Cultural Genocide: Protect the Peaks Sacred Site

p bProtect the Peaks! Week of Action Update 1/b/p p On Friday, August 5th, more than 50 people marched through the streets of downtown Flagstaff to raise awareness of Arizona span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl’s" data-scaytid="14"Snowbowlrsquo;s/span span data-scayt_word="eco-cide" data-scaytid="24"eco-cide/span and desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks. The march was part of a week of action to bring community members together to protect the Peaks./p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/marching.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/marching-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="marching" width="300" //a/p p On May 25th 2011, authorized by the the Obama Administrationrsquo;s Department of Agriculture and US Forest Service, owners of Arizona span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="26"Snowbowl/span began further destruction and desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks. Since then span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl’s" data-scaytid="15"Snowbowlrsquo;s/span crew of a handful of workers has laid over 5 miles of the planned 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline. They have cut a six foot wide and eight foot deep gash into the Holy Mountain.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="27"Snowbowl/span is currently in the process of clear-cutting more than 30,000 trees and burning slash-piles./p p nbsp;/p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/boycott-snowbowl.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/boycott-snowbowl-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="boycott-snowbowl" width="300" //aBefore the march began Flagstaff Cops kicked protestors out of Hopi Square, demonstrators continued nearby span data-scayt_word="flyering" data-scaytid="42"flyering/span and engaging in a spontaneous community forum about the issue./p p nbsp;/p p style="text-align: left;" img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/march2-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; padding: 4px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="march2" width="300" //p p Carrying banners that read, ldquo;Stop span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="28"Snowbowl/span Cultural Genociderdquo; and chanting, ldquo;Community Health Over Corporate Wealth!rdquo; marchers walked and took the streets for more than two hours distributing flyers./p p nbsp;/p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/caught-texting.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/caught-texting-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="caught-texting" width="300" //aA member of Youth of the Peaks, an Indigenous youth organization, witnessed Flagstaff Police Department Officer Simpson badge #41 texting ldquo;dealing with mother span data-scayt_word="f–kers.”" data-scaytid="1"fndash;kers.rdquo;/span A crowd erupted in protest as he was reprimanded by a superior officer. An ldquo;officialrdquo; report of misconduct was later filed against him./p p img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/banner-drop2-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="banner-drop" width="300" //p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p A 2-story banner reading, ldquo;Environmental Degradation, Cultural Genocide, Racism, Public Health Threat. Donrsquo;t Regret Today. Destroy span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="29"Snowbowl/span,rdquo; was hung over the square where hundreds of people were gathered during Flagstaffrsquo;s monthly Art Walk./p p nbsp;/p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/arrest1.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/arrest1-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="arrest1" width="300" //aAt approximately 7:span data-scayt_word="30PM" data-scaytid="44"30PM/span, as the crowd of 50 marchers crossed Aspen St., a Flagstaff cop grabbed one person from behind and arrested him for ldquo;obstructing a public span data-scayt_word="thoroughfare.”" data-scaytid="2"thoroughfare.rdquo;/span/p p nbsp;/p p img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/arrest-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="arrest" width="300" //p p ldquo;Native Rights, Human Rights, Public Health, and respect descend on the span data-scayt_word="heiarchy" data-scaytid="52"heiarchy/span of social perception; while big brother and businessmen exchange hand shakes, lady liberty smiles oil, uncle span data-scayt_word="sam" data-scaytid="54"sam/span perpetuates environmental disorder, and effluent water delivers the slope of span data-scayt_word="tears.”" data-scaytid="4"tears.rdquo;/span stated Ron Thompson, who was arrested and released less than 3 hours later. ldquo;I had no span data-scayt_word="descrepancies" data-scaytid="56"descrepancies/span being selected in the school of fish by the shark to represent the voice of the unheard. That voice is the civic duty of the free society and the fines of tyranny will always cost more than obstruction of public span data-scayt_word="thoroughfare.”" data-scaytid="3"thoroughfare.rdquo;/span/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/art.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/art-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="art" width="300" //a/p p nbsp;/p p Some protestors creatively contributed political/p p art to ldquo;Art Walkrdquo; by hanging signs that read, ldquo;I love eating poop span data-scayt_word="snow.”" data-scaytid="5"snow.rdquo;/span/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/silence.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/silence-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="silence" width="300" //a/p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/stop-snowbowl.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/stop-snowbowl-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="stop-snowbowl" width="300" //a/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p Messages such as, ldquo;Your Silence Doesnrsquo;t Stop the Truthrdquo; were also projected onto buildings along with images of span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl’s" data-scaytid="16"Snowbowlrsquo;s/span recent clear-cutting of the Holy Mountain./p p Indigenous youth also held a ldquo;Zombie Marchrdquo; with over two dozen young people dressed as Zombies symbolizing the public health threat sewage effluent snowmaking poses./p p nbsp;/p p From August 4-9, 2011 events are planned in Flagstaff, Arizona to protest span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="30"Snowbowl/span ski area and the Obama administrationrsquo;s US Forest Service sanctioned desecration of the holy San Francisco Peaks./p p nbsp;/p p a href="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/snowboarder.jpg" style="color: rgb(223, 16, 0); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent;" target="_blank"img alt="" height="200" src="http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/snowboarder-300x200.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; padding: 4px; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" title="snowboarder" width="300" //a/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p Upcoming Events:br / strongSun. 7th ndash; MARCH FOR THE PEAKS! ndash; 12:span data-scayt_word="30PM" data-scaytid="45"30PM/span/strongbr / Meet and start in Wheeler Park downtown Flagstaff, AZ. Bring banners and signs./p p strongMon. 8th ndash; RALLY AT span data-scayt_word="USFS" data-scaytid="58"USFS/span OFFICE! ndash; 12:span data-scayt_word="30PM" data-scaytid="46"30PM/span/strongbr / At Coconino Forest Service Office ndash; 1824 S. Thompson St. Flagstaff, AZ (Near AZ Daily Sun off of Old span data-scayt_word="Rt" data-scaytid="62"Rt/span. 66) nbsp;Come on your lunch hour. nbsp;Bring banners and signs./p p strongTues. 9th -PROTEST HIGH DESERT INVESTMENT CITY HALL!/strongbr / PROTEST HIGH DESERT INVESTMENT ndash; 12:span data-scayt_word="30PM" data-scaytid="47"30PM/spanbr / 504 E Butler Avenue (across from New Frontiers)/p p PROTEST CITY HALL ndash; 4:span data-scayt_word="00PM" data-scaytid="66"00PM/spanbr / Meet at Flagstaff City Hall on span data-scayt_word="Rt" data-scaytid="63"Rt/span 66 side. nbsp;Bring banners and signs, drums and song./p p BACKGROUND:/p p nbsp;/p p Although a current legal battle is under appeal, span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="31"Snowbowl/span owners have chosen to undermine judicial process by rushing to construct the pipeline./p p Encampments have been established on the holy Mountain in protest of the destruction and desecration./p p All are welcome to camp and bear witness to span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl’s" data-scaytid="17"Snowbowlrsquo;s/span desecration./p p For more than a dozen years Indigenous Nations, environmental activists, and concerned community members have worked together to protect the holy site and surrounding area from further ecological destruction, public health threats, and spiritual desecration./p p nbsp;/p p Arizona span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl’s" data-scaytid="18"Snowbowlrsquo;s/span development plans include clear-cutting 74 acres of rare alpine habitat that is home to threatened species, making new runs and lifts, adding more parking lots and building a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport up to 180 million gallons (per season) of wastewater to make artificial snow on 205 acres. The Peaks are central to the ways of life of more than 13 Indigenous Nations.nbsp; The use of wastewater undermines internationally recognized rights of Indigenous people; rights that the Forest Service and administration is obliged to protect./p p nbsp;/p p strongTAKE ACTION NOW!/strong/p p Converge on the Mountain!br / Join an established base camp or start your own.br / More info: a href="http://www.truesnow.org/" target="_blank"span data-scayt_word="www.truesnow.org" data-scaytid="6"www.truesnow.org/span/a/p p nbsp;/p p Contact Flagstaff City Officials and urge them to RESPECT the environment, Indigenous culture, and protect public health by finding a way out of their contract to sell span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="32"Snowbowl/span wastewater!br / PHONE: a href="tel:%28928%29%20779-7600" target="_blank" value="+19287797600"(928) 779-7600/abr / EMAIL: a href="mailto:council@flagstaffaz.gov" target="_blank"span data-scayt_word="council@flagstaffaz.gov" data-scaytid="7"council@flagstaffaz.gov/span/a/p p nbsp;/p p Contact Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and express concern that there was no meaningful public process when the agency approved wastewater for snowmaking. File a complaint and demand full public review!/p p Arizona Department of Environmental Qualitybr / 1110 West Washington Streetbr / Phoenix, Arizona 85007br / a href="tel:%28800%29%20234-5677" target="_blank" value="+18002345677"(800) 234-5677/a ndash; Toll Free/p p nbsp;/p p Northern Regional Officebr / 1801 West Route 66, Suite 117br / Flagstaff, Arizona 86001br / a href="tel:%28877%29%20602-3675" target="_blank" value="+18776023675"(877) 602-3675/a ndash; Toll Free/p p nbsp;/p p a href="http://www.azdeq.gov/function/compliance/complaint.html" target="_blank"span data-scayt_word="www.azdeq.gov" data-scaytid="8"www.azdeq.gov/span/function/wbrcompliance/span data-scayt_word="complaint.html" data-scaytid="9"complaint.html/span/wbr/a/p p wbr/wbr/p p nbsp;/p p Contact the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which heads the Forest Service, and urge them to revoke the Special Use Permit for Arizona span data-scayt_word="Snowbowl" data-scaytid="33"Snowbowl/span for greater public interest.br / The USDA has been holding hearings on protection of sacred places due to the Peaks controversy. Urge the USDA to immediately place an administrative hold on all development on the San Francisco Peaks!/p p nbsp;/p p CALL CRAIG JOHNSON span data-scayt_word="USFS" data-scaytid="59"USFS/span TRIBAL span data-scayt_word="LIASON" data-scaytid="68"LIASON/span IN FLAGSTAFF, AZ AT: a href="tel:928%20525%206578" target="_blank" value="+19285256578"928 525 6578/a./p p nbsp;/p p Tom span data-scayt_word="Vilsack" data-scaytid="70"Vilsack/spanbr / span data-scayt_word="U.S" data-scaytid="10"U.S/span. Department of Agriculturebr / 1400 Independence Ave., span data-scayt_word="S.W" data-scaytid="11"S.W/span.br / Washington, DC 20250/p p Phone: a href="tel:202-720-3631" target="_blank" value="+12027203631"202-720-3631/a/p p nbsp;/p p Email: a href="mailto:TribalSacredSites@fs.fed.us" target="_blank"span data-scayt_word="TribalSacredSites@fs.fed.us" data-scaytid="12"TribalSacredSites@fs.fed.us/span/a/p p nbsp;/p p Send Letters to the Editor of your local papers.br / Arizona Daily Sun: a href="mailto:rwilson@azdailysun.com" target="_blank"span data-scayt_word="rwilson@azdailysun.com" data-scaytid="13"rwilson@azdailysun.com/span/a/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p /p