
Edited by
SkyWarrior
{The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of ouachitalk.com, it's owners or editors.}
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>>>> It appears that the "Pony Soldier" attacks against Native American Religion did not stop in the 1800's. The "Hang-Around-The-Forts" and their Wasichu Masters are doing it in this century as they did in the past three! We may have to go back 'underground' and perform these ceremonies in secret as it was in the post-Wounded Knee era. <<<<
Please read the following releases concerning the destruction of a Sun Dance by Navajo Tribal Police, B.I.A., and Hopi Rangers on August 17th. 2001
.....SkyWarrior
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Dear Big Mountain supporters,
I have just received an emergency phone call from the land. This
morning
Friday August 17, 2001 at 5:30 a.m. Hopi Rangers, BIA police, and
Navajo
Police entered the Anna Mae Sundance grounds and began
dismantling the
arbor. The sacred Tree of Life was also removed. A car has been
impounded and a Dineh youth has been arrested. I am omitting
their
names until I can get permission to post them. There is an urgent
call
for supporters, observers, and media.
I will let you know as I receive more details.
Sharon
To all Big Mtn Supporters,
Here is another update on Camp Anna Mae attack by Hopi Police
this
morning.
About an hour ago I received a call from Elivra Horseherder about
a
recent attack at Camp Anna Mae. Elivra says over 50 Hopi
Police came
into Camp Anna Mae this morning began tearing up various tents,
kitchens
etc. and then arrested what it appears to be MORE than one
person.
Elvira thinks <...deleted...> may have been arrested and
was concerned
that all of them may be arrested again. She was very concerned
for their
well being and asked that the world be notified of this latest
attack.
The request, as Sheridan from AIM Florida mentioned is to bring
in
MEDIA---some have already been contacted---and to have witness to
these
atrocities.
Another concern is whether or not the Sundance Tree/arbor were
hit. As
yet it is unclear as to whether the arbor was destroyed or not.
We are
still waiting to hear about that, and of course prayers are
necessary
for the Spiritual leader and his family, as well as the
Sundancers.
This is a serious act of aggression which is impacting the
elders. Please
help in any way you can.
thank you for your support,
antoinette claypoole
=================================
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 11:42:36 -0700
From: Michael Gerell <DELETED>
Subject: Urgent! BIA is tearing down Anna Mae Sundance arbor
Big Mountain Supporters: It is with great sadness and not a
little
anger that I must pass on to you information I received in two
urgent
phone calls this morning. The Corporate Hopi Rangers along
with units
from the BIA police and the Navajo County Sheriffs (60 cops by
one
estimate) have seen fit to take it upon themselves to begin
tearing down
the Sacred Sundance Tree and the surrounding arbor at the
Sundance
grounds at Anna Mae Camp on Big Mountain. This is an
agreagous and
stunning escalation of the continuing harassment and religious
rights
violations that took place this July when these same law
enforcement
agencies attempted to keep the sacred ceremony from happening at
all.
<...deleted...> was at the homestead when the troops
arrived and was
arrested while attempting to document the disrespectful and
violent
destruction. <...deleted...> may have also been
arrested, but this has
yet to be confirmed.
This heinous crime against the Peoples rights to religion and
land is
akin to the destruction of any church, synagogue, or
temple. We call on
all people of faith to stand up in support of these traditional
Dineh
People. Please call Gail Norton at the dept of the Interior, the
head of
the regional BIA and the Hopi Tribal Council and tell them that
what
they are doing is a crime according to international law and also
according to the Native American Religious Rights act.
The People are calling for any and all supporters who can get
themselves
out to the Altar to come there to witness and hopefully stop the
destruction of this sacred structure which carries the prayers of
all
who participated in the Sundance there for the last 18 years.
Please feel free to contact me for any further updates on this
situation. I have been told that the next target may be the
burial site
of the late elder who passed away just before the Sundance in
July. And
forced evictions may not be too far behind in the plans of these
misguided agents of the corporate giants that direct and pay for
the
destruction on the Altar and elsewhere on Mother Earth.
Walk in Beauty
m.g.
From: "antoinette" <deleted>
Subject: PLEASE POST UPDATE on Big Mountain Aug 17th RAID
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 15:00:56 -0700
At three o'clock on the afternoon of August 17th
I spoke with the office of Hopi Tribal Chairman, Eugene Kaye.
It was confirmed that:
1. Bulldozers and Chainsaws have destroyed all buildings/Sundance
arbor
at Camp Anna Mae. The office also says that "No
personal residences
were destroyed, only Sundance arbor and tree."
2. Two people were cited/arrested: one young Dine', a
"minor" who was
documenting, attempting to photograph the destruction by
bulldozers and
chainsaws on his homeland, at the home of his family. His
arraignment
is set for Monday August 20 at a.m. and he is charged with
criminal
trespass. The other person ceased/arrested was Arlene Hamilton,
who had
previously been charged at an exclusionary hearing by the Hopi
Tribal
Council. She was cited, ceased, and escorted from the
reservation
according to Hopi Tribal Chairman office.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&
Today, I also spoke with attorney Joe Washington who continues to
say
that these charges of criminal trespass are in direct violation
of the
rights of the Dine' and they WILL be challenged.
And also a phone conversation this afternoon with a Benally
family
member who is now working to raise bond for their relative. To
those
Dine' in resistance, and for those of convinced that this is a
violation
of human rights, we feel this this latest round of
attacks, striking
at the heart of a sacred ceremony is a flagrant act of arrogant
and
cruel disrespect for all Nations involved.
Also, the Lakota Sundance leader, Joe Chasing Horse,
has been informed
of this assault, discussing with his helpers what it is that
can/will be
done for protection of their families, now that sacred arbor has
been
destroyed.
When I told this story to a local S. Oregon person he replied
"Are you
saying this JUST happened???? This is not a story from 100 years
ago?"
Yes. This is the 21st century version of respect.
There is much talk in Indian and white country about how
these
Sovereign Dine' should just leave and that this land now belongs
to the
Hopi. Yet it is crucial to understand that Hopi
Traditionals do not
support the destruction of ceremony, it is Hopi Tribal Council
calling
this land their jurisdiction. With the sanctions of the
U.S. Congress.
AND the Sovereign Dine' Nation has NEVER recognized the
jurisdiction of
either the United States (PL 93-531) OR Hopi Tribal
Council.
Please pray for the Benally family as now one of their young
men has
been targeted.
Because they refuse to participate in forced relocation designed
by a
Tribal Council and U.S. Congress who admittedly seek access to
coal and
uranium which lie beneath the sacred altar of Dine'.
antoinette claypoole.
Ps.
And in Mississippi there is a bright renegade Cherokee man, Jim
Windwalker, who has offered to work on creating a civil
rights suit
against the Hopi Tribal Council for its acts of destruction
toward
ceremony and a way of life. We will prevail.
The "Official" Hopi press release on the desecration
of the Sundance arbor at Camp Anna Mae at Big Mountain can be
found at:
http://www.imdiversity.com/article_detail.asp?Article_ID=6283
The following is a description by some of the residents of Big
Mountain, AZ who observed the destruction of the Sundance
ground.
From: >deleted<
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 10:00:03 EDT
Subject: desecration of the sacred Sundance ground
Date: 17.8.01 21:05:38 Romance Daylight Time
From: >deleted< (Brenda Norrell)
To: >DELETED<
Today (8-17-01) at approximately 5 a.m., the Office of Hopi
Lands, Hopi Range Management, Resource Enforcement Services,
Hopi Tribal Police, Navajo County Sheriff, and BIA
impoundment trailers entered Camp Ana Mae, a sacred
religious area located in Big Mountain, AZ.
Awakened by sounds of machinery, several witnesses observed
the desecration of the sacred Sundance ground. Land
management employees were observed cutting down arbor logs
and the Sundance tree with chain-saws. A front-end loader
destroyed sweat lodges, fire pits, sweat rocks, alters, and
the Sundance arbor. Religious paraphernalia, which included
tobacco ties, flesh offerings, and eagle feathers were
seized or left behind and trampled by machinery.
Eric Crittenton, a resident of Camp Ana Mae, was arrested
while trying to photograph the destruction. Eric, who is a
minor, was home alone at the time of the incident.
Local residents arrived at Camp Ana Mae around 8 a.m. to
take part in a weekly prayer and sweat ceremony. To their
shock and disbelief, residents were blocked by local, state,
and federal law enforcement. Officers stated that all
trespassers would be arrested. Residents counted fifteen
vehicles leaving the area, and included several trailers
piled with confiscated arbor logs and the Sundance Tree.
Subject: PRESS STATEMENT: BEGAYE ON BULLDOZING OF SUNDANCE
SITE
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 15:46:33 -0700
THE NAVAJO NATION
Office of the President and Vice President
(Window Rock, Navajo Nation, Arizona)
For Immediate
Release
August 17, 2001
Contact: Merle Pete
(520) 871-6352
merlepete@visto.com
PRESS STATEMENT
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT BEGAYE ON THE BULLDOZING OF HPL SUNDANCE
CEREMONY
SITE BY THE HOPI TRIBE
Window Rock, Navajo Nation (Arizona)--
The Hopi government's decision to bulldoze the Sundance ceremony
site at
Big Mountain is deplorable. In the strongest terms, I
object to such a
violent action against the Navajo families who reside on Big
Mountain
and who participate, as a part of their spiritual beliefs, in the
Sundance ceremony. The Hopi government appears to be
persecuting these
families for their religious beliefs, as well as for their
heartfelt
desire to stay on their ancestral lands and to continue their
traditional ways.
The Sundance ceremony has been performed at Big Mountain for a
number of
years at the request of the Big Mountain Navajo families.
It has become
an important part of their spiritual lives. Like all
peoples, including
the Hopis, the Navajo families on Big Mountain should have the
freedom
to practice their non-violent beliefs without governmental
interference.
Native peoples have, all too often, seen their sacred places
damaged or
destroyed by non-Natives. It is shocking to see one Native
government
do the same to another Native community. The Hopi
government's action
seemed to have been intended to intimidate, by a show of force,
all the
Navajo families who continue to reside on Navajo ancestral lands
within
the Hopi Partitioned Lands. Let me remind the Hopi
government that the
Israeli military uses a similar tactic of bulldozing homes in
Palestinian villages. The outcome of that strategy has not
brought
peace to the Middle-East.
I understand that the Hopi government is frustrated. The
Land Dispute
has taken its toll on everybody--just ask those Navajo families
who live
on the HPL and have sought spiritual strength through the
Sundance
ceremony. They feel the Land Dispute's harshness more than anyone
else.
I also understand that the Hopi government claims legal
jurisdiction
over the Sundance. But I question whether that jurisdiction
gives the
Hopi government the moral right to act as violently as they have.
I raise my objections directly with the Hopi leadership.
The politics
of destruction can start a terrible downward spiral that we must
stop
now. At this point, the first step is to secure the release of
any
Navajos who were detained by the Hopi police. Then I would
ask that the
Hopi government apologize. In return, I will commit to
working with the
Hopi government to address its reasonable concerns. We must
build
bridges of trust, not walls of fear and intimidation. We
must rely on
reason and diplomacy, and the law, not acts of force, to resolve
our
disputes.
The actions of the Hopi government have cast a long shadow over
all the
Navajos who reside on the HPL, as well as put chilling effect on
the
relationship of our two nations. Nonetheless, our two
people are here,
together, as neighbors --this is the Creator's will. We
should honor
that will with good hearts, good intentions and good actions.
: Robbing the Indians
AZ Daily Star, 8/17/01
Robbing the Indians
Daniel P. Hodel, a cabinet member under former President Ronald
Reagan,
outrageously arranged for Arizona's Indians to be cheated out of
vast
amounts of money while he was Secretary of the Interior.
A U.S. Court of Appeals decision, reported in Tuesday's Star,
said that
in 1985 Hodel ordered his subordinate to conceal a decision by
the Board
of Indian Appeals that would have provided the Navajos with
enormous
royalties for coal extracted from Black Mesa by Peabody Coal Co.
Hodel's
duplicitous action was unconscionable, especially coming from an
individual whose free market blather frequently invoked morality
as the
framework for public and private policy.
Black Mesa is a sandstone formation in Northern Arizona,
inhabited by
Hopi and Navajo Indians. The northeastern portion of the mesa is
leased
to Peabody, which mines a thick layer of low-sulfur coal.
In exchange for the rights to this ore body, Peabody's
predecessor,
Sentry Royalty Co., agreed to pay the Navajos a royalty of no
more than
37.5 cents per ton. That rate was to be readjusted to a
"reasonable"
level 20 years later.
"As that anniversary approached, due to increases in the
market price of
coal the rate of 37.5 cents per ton was equivalent to about 2
percent of
gross proceeds. It is not disputed that this was well below
then-prevailing royalty rates," the appeals court decision
said.
Peabody and the Navajos entered negotiations over the new royalty
rate,
but couldn't reach an agreement. The next step in the process
called for
the Department of Interior - specifically the Bureau of Indian
Affairs -
to resolve the dispute. The BIA, using an analysis provided by
the U.S.
Bureau of Mines, set the royalty rate at 20 percent. Peabody
appealed
that decision to the Board of Indian Appeals.
What happened next was a classic case of theft and exploitation.
The
Board of Indian Appeals affirmed the 20 percent royalty but Hodel
evidently decided that was too much of a burden for Peabody, so
he
withdrew the decision.
Instead of following normal procedures, Hodel sent a memo to John
Fritz,
the Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Indian Affairs, stating, "I suggest that you
inform the
involved parties that a decision on this appeal is not imminent
and urge
them to continue with efforts to resolve this matter in a
mutually
agreeable fashion." Fritz did as his boss suggested.
The Appeals Court finding also notes that during this period,
representatives of Peabody Coal had "numerous contacts"
with Hodel and
other officials of his department. "The Navajo were not told
that a
decision on Peabody's appeal had been made in their favor,"
the court
wrote. As a result, the Indians eventually agreed to a royalty of
12.5
percent.
This sort of despicable behavior should not be ignored. As the
court
pointed out, Hodel's job called for him to look out for the
Indians.
Instead, he "violated the most fundamental fiduciary duties
of care,
loyalty and candor."
The new Appeals Court ruling in favor of the Navajos simply
overturns a
lower court decision. We hope the decision leads to a more just
remedy.
The Navajos should be compensated for the millions of dollars in
royalties lost because of Hodel's scurrilous behavior.
Reprinted under the Fair Use
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
doctrine of international
copyright law. Full copyright retained by the original
publication.
... many prayers ...
dn: daily news code for auto mailbox placement
William "Sky" Crosby, director E C C O
Environmental and Cultural Conservation Organization
Tucson, AZ
Tel 520 749 0585
=========================================
Please visit http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm
for more background on the Big Mountain relocation issue.
Contact Governor Jane Hull at:
602-542-4331 or Fax 602-542-1381
Contact list of appropriate public officials:
http://www.blackmesais.org/relocatethis.html
------------------------------------------
"Hopi Tribal staff stuffed the Tree of Life into a
woodchipper and haul
the other remains away in trailers"
Camp Ana Mae, the well-known site of Sun Dances , home to Louise
Benally
and her children at the foot of Big Mountain, Arizona has been
bulldozed
by Hopi Tribal authorities.
Although it is not yet known exactly when the order came through,
the
site is reported to have been cleared Friday August 17 in the
early
morning hours, following the arrests for criminal trespass of
Louise
Benally's 17 year old son Eric Crittendon and of Arlene
Hamilton-Benally, who were there at the time. Ms.
Hamilton-Benally, an
Anglo human-rights activist, and her husband Leonard Benally had
held
their wedding reception a few miles away just the day before.
According
to Ms. Hamilton-Benally, Eric had been arrested for attempting to
photograph the demolition of the arbor, sweat lodges and Tree of
Life
and all other components of the ceremonial area next to his
mother's
home. When Ms. Hamilton-Benally approached the officers to ask
for his
release into the custody of his family, she was arrested as well.
Hopi Tribal police have the area secured and no one is permitted
entrance at this time.
One local resident has tentatively received permission to enter
and
photograph the home site Saturday.
Many conferences and protests concerning the relocation of Navajo
and
Hopi people on the division of the former Joint Use Area brought
about
through public law PL 93-531 have been held here over the last
three
decades. Louise Benally is one of the few remaining residents who
abstained from signing a lease agreement with the Hopi Tribe.
Louise
Benally named her home site after the late Ana Mae Aquash, the
AIM
activist who was murdered and had her hands cut off for
post-mortem
fingerprinting by the FBI in the 1970's for her pursuit of civil
and
religious freedom for native people.
Said Cedric Kuwaninvaya of the Hopi Land Team, "This is just
one of the
steps that the Hopi Tribe will be taking to enforce its
jurisdiction
over the Hopi Reservation." After local residents watched
the Hopi
Tribal staff stuff the Tree of Life into a woodchipper and haul
the
other remains away in trailers, he continued,"We will keep a
close eye
on the former site of the Camp Ana Mae to ensure that the
trespassers
(family) do not try and establish another camp at which they hold
unwanted gatherings and celebrate their lawlessness."
For More Information Contact: Rachel Scala rscala@juno.com
Contact list of appropriate public officials:
http://www.blackmesais.org/relocatethis.html
For the latest information about Camp Anna Mae Sundance Grounds,
go to
http://www.blackmesais.org/anna_mae_sundance_2k1.htm
Thank you, Black Mesa Indigenous Support
=========================================
Please visit http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm
for more background on the Big Mountain relocation issue.
Dear Big Mountain Supporters,
Arlene Hamilton asked me to post this for her. Please
forgive the delay
since connections to phone lines are rare in Big Mountain.
Yours sincerely,
Marsha
Arlene Hamilton says, On August 17, at approximately 6:45 AM, I
went
down with Leonard Benally to John Benally's. We were
informed the Sun
dance arbor was being disassembled by the BIA police and the Hopi
tribal
rangers. John Benally informed us that Eric Crittendon was
arrested
about 1/2 hour earlier when he woke up to a siege at his home and
customary use area. Eric was taking pictures and trying to stop
them
from taking down this sacred tree of life. When we drove down the
hill
we saw armed vehicles everywhere around the camp, they had a
roadblocks
of 4 armed vehicles so we went around the back, Tracy and I got
out of
the vehicle and walked into the camp. We heard loud noises of
machinery,
chain saws and shredder machines, they had totally destroyed the
arbor.
There were over 17 armed police carrying out this assignment. As
I
walked up to the arbor to ask them what was going on and to try
to stop
them, two police officers in black clothes began pushing me!
around and
they were shoving my shoulders trying to make me angry and I was
crying
because it was the saddest thing I ever saw out here and that
they were
destroying a sacred ceremonial Nation to Nation Sun dance that is
protected by international law. The police grabbed me by my
wrists to my
back, put handcuffs on me and shoved me in a BIA police car. Then
they
took me out of that vehicle and put me in a Hopi ranger vehicle
and put
me in jail for approximately 3 hours in a holding cell. Over the
radio I
could hear them say, there was an Anglo 101 had been taken into
custody
and the officers were to pull out. The main reason I went to Camp
Ana
Mae is because Eric was alone and he is a young Dine' male and I
knew
they would try to make it sound like Eric had done something
wrong. So
he clearly was a victim of another military siege for the second
time in
a month and I felt as a human rights defender I should stand up
and this
is a violation of international law.! Chief Joseph has been
leading this
Sundance for 17 years here at the Camp Mae Camp in Big Mountain
AZ.
Because of the increase of military presence and lack of water,
myself
and 9 Big Mountain people and other Indigenous leaders went to
New York
City in April to expose violations out here and to stop the
military
interference of the sacred grounds. We met with the Lehman
Brothers
CEO, Richard Fuld, now owners of Peabody Coal Company and his
senior
board of directors and the shareholders of Lehman Brothers. We
asked
that no military presence and no armed rangers be around
ceremonial
sites. When we went there they said we were diplomatic and this
is the
reaction we get back on the land where the people are retaliated
against.
It is devastating, they have taken down the entire ceremonial
grounds
and the sweat lodge. When I went to file a police report I was
denied.
They told me I was not allowed to file any reports. Finally I
went back
to the Hopi police and got a BIA police to take my report
charging Wayne
Taylor for criminal acts of genocide and devastation of sacred
ground,
but they only took parts of my report. People here are
censored and
need to put pressure to stand up against US police which is
inhumane,
make the phone calls, send the letter, now more than ever before
because
of the military presence.
Thank you,
Arlene Hamilton
John Benally's post to the Big Mountain list
I want to communicate with you on behalf of myself and the
Sundancers
who exercise their beliefs here in Big Mountain. I want to
tell you
what is happening to us in the millennium years.
By now you must have heard about the desecration and destruction
of the
Sundance tree here in Big Mountain. It is the destruction
of the belief
of my people. The Hopi Range Management cut up the Sundance
arbor, tree
and sweat lodge, they took a chain saw and cut up the Sundance
tree.
They cut the Sundance tree in sections, the tree of life. The
Hopi
tribal police, rangers and BIA rangers acted as their
security. They
did this without notifying the people in a formal manner as their
believe and laws require. They just came in without a court order
and
invaded the privacy of our homes and our Sundance ground. I think
this
is an illegal act. When people were still asleep they invaded,
waking us
up with the sound of stock trailers rattling early in the morning
and a
back hoe and chain saws.
My nephew Eric Crittendon told me what was happening at the
Sundance
camp. When we got there we saw 3 police blocking the
entrance of Camp
Ana Mae and more than 15 vehicles of Hopi tribal police, Hopi and
BIA
Rangers. They said they did not want me to take my vehicle into
the
Camp. They asked me to park it and I cooperated with them. I said
I have
no reverse so I have to make a circle to come back out of here.
They
said they called the tow truck. I asked them why are you towing
my
truck? I told them I am moving out of the way. They would not
tell me
anything so I took my shovel out of my truck and left it there to
see
what was happening. My truck is a 1967 Chevy 1/2 ton. They never
gave me
any papers to seize my truck and no cause. I want my vehicle
back.
While I was talking to the BIA police Eric and I separated.
He was
arrested by the Hopi police and they would not even tell me what
his
charges were. When we called the Hopi jail and were ! told
Eric was
charged with criminal trespassing we got Eric a lawyer and raised
the
bond money to get him out of jail.
What the police are doing is intimidation and harassment of
people. It
is happening to my people and it is happening right here in our
own
home. How can they do this treatment to my people? We are no
different
than the Hopi. Where is the equal protection? Who protects us?
The only
way to solve the problem is to give the land base back to the
Dine'.
This is the only way. P.L. 93-531 and all the other relocation
laws are
discriminatory, prejudiced and racist laws. What kind of people
can come
in and destroy what is so sacred?
We are afraid that if we do not stop them now by filing an
injunction in
federal court the Hopi Range Management with their security will
post no
trespassing signs on all resisters homes and bulldoze them.
We believe
this could happen since nothing is sacred to them and the police
are
enforcing the law not the Hopi court.
We want to know who pays for these operations? The Hopi Range
Management, Hopi police, rangers and BIA are using funds to
destroy our
arbor with heavy equipment. Are they paid special to do what they
did
today? How can the BIA provide security actions when Big Mountain
boulevard caved in and has not been fixed for over a week.
This is a
public road and a school bus route. They only graded the
detour so they
could bring in their stock trailers and heavy equipment.
What
departments and agencies are helping to fund the destruction and
desecration? How can these police officers laugh at us, making
fun of us
and our beliefs as Dine'. We are still living here at Big
Mountain.
That's all. We are not raiding and terrorizing the Hopi
villages.
President Kelsey Begay, the Navajo Nation calls it religious
persecution
so we want you to support our request to Roman Bitsuie
520-871-6446 that
the Navajo Nation tribal council pass a resolution stating that
no Hopi
or BIA official can cross any portion of Navajo Partition Land
(NPL) for
the purpose of hurting the Dine'. We want them to give us funds
to go to
federal court and support our defining our sovereign territory.
There is
a lot of hate inside of the Hopi governmental officials.
Hopi
jurisdiction is already messed up. The destruction and
desecration of
the Sundance grounds demonstrates it. Please help us get
protection for
this group of human beings living here, the Dine' of Black Mesa.
If you can travel to Big Mountain these are the directions from
Flagstaff:
From Flagstaff head towards Tuba City. Take 160 East
towards Kayenta.
Exit right at Black Mesa Trading Post. Go on that highway,
up the hill,
heading east. Continue on the paved road past where it
turns to a dirt
road by the Black Mesa Pipeline Company. Then continue on
the dirt road
all the way, following detour signs towards Pinon. When you
come to
turnoff where highway starts on the left going to Pinon, do not
take
that road. Take the dirt road to the right. You will
come to a little
wash and curve, continue bearing right, then straight about 11
miles to
Big Mountain. You can also call the cellular phone numbers
listed on
the press release and arrange for an escort.
Thank you for your support.
Please help us get out this press release:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release
Hate Crime on Indian Land
For information please contact cellular phones: 928-380-5490,
928-380-6125
August 18, 2001
Big Mountain, AZ. Yesterday, 8-17-01, at approximately 5AM,
Mountain
Standard Time, the Office of Hopi Lands, Hopi Range Management,
Resource
Enforcement Services, Hopi Tribal Police, Navajo County Sheriff,
and US
Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
impoundment
trailers entered Camp Ana Mae, a sacred Sundance site in Big
Mountain,
AZ. Awakened by sounds of heavy machinery and chain saws, several
witnesses observed the desecration and total destruction of the
sacred
Sundance ground. Witnesses observed a para-military squadron of
police
surrounding land management employees chain sawing the Sundance
tree,
the tree of life and bulldozing the ceremonial structures. A huge
back
hoe destroyed sweat lodges, fire pits, sweat rocks, alters, and
the
Sundance arbor. Religious paraphernalia, which included tobacco
ties,
flesh offerings, and eagle feathers were seized or left behind
and
trampled by machinery.
Eric Crittendon awoke his uncle John Benally to tell him about
the
destruction of the Sundance site. Eric and John came up to the
Sundance
entrance which is Eric's lifelong home site. There were Hopi
police
vehicles blocking the entrance. They were told they could not
enter the
grounds. John left his truck which was stolen by the police. He
walked
up to the Sundance arbor to find it surrounded by police.
John Benally says, Eric Crittendon and I separated while I was
talking
to the BIA police. At that time, Eric who just turned 18 years of
age
was arrested by the Hopi police and charged with criminal
trespassing.
The Sundance is a traditional orthodox Native American religion.
This
Sundance is not political, it is a way to pray. This is how we
worship
and pray for the healing of our family and all our relations.
Local residents arrived at Camp Ana Mae around 8:00 AM to take
part in a
weekly prayer and sweat ceremony. To our shock and disbelief, we
who
live in the area were blocked by local, state and federal law
enforcement, told by Officers that all trespassers would be
arrested for
criminal trespassing. Residents counted fifteen police vehicles,
2 BIA
impoundment trailers and a flat bed piled with arbor logs, the
sweat
lodge and the Sundance Tree. We believe this hate crime is
equivalent to
bulldozing Vatican City or Mecca. This land is our spiritual
center.
This is the official press release of the residents of Big
Mountain, AZ
who observed the destruction of the Sundance ground.
Although this is somewhat dated, I think it is important to
recognize
the thinking of the Hopi traditionals regarding the "Hopi
Tribal
Council." The following link is to one issue of the
discontinued
Techqua Ikachi, "ENTITY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL HOPI
AND
HOPI TRIBAL COUNCIL.
http://www.saivasiddhanta.com/Resources/Hopi/issue_41.html
A portion of the text reads:
"So we look on from the spiritual point of view as the
so-called Hopi
Tribal Council adopted their own man-made bylaws and
constitution. In so
doing they cast away the laws of our Creator, our Traditional
leadership and also our religion. Therefore they are no longer
Hopi.
Their identity is lost. They are no longer caretakers of the
land. Their
only interest now is in abusing the land, our mother."
>From Indian Country Today
**********
Hopi offer no apology for Sun Dance destruction
Posted: August 22, 2001 - 13:24:48 EST
by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today
KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. -- The Hopi Tribe responded to Navajo President
Kelsey
Begaye's stern reproach and refused to apologize for destruction
of the
Big Mountain Sun Dance grounds, stating that Navajos resisting
relocation will be evicted.
"There will be no apology," said Cedric Kuwaninvaya,
chairman of the
Hopi Land Team. "These people are trespassers and they will
be evicted."
President Begaye warned the destruction of the Sun Dance grounds
at Big
Mountain damaged the relationship between Navajo and Hopi tribal
governments.
Demanding an apology, Begaye said the destruction of the Sun
Dance tree
and arbor was a violent act.
"The actions of the Hopi government have cast a long shadow
over all the
Navajos who reside on the Hopi Partitioned Lands, as well as put
chilling effect on the relationship of our two nations,"
Begaye said.
Kuwaninvaya said Hopi have received no apologies and would issue
none.
"When a Hopi was arrested for carrying out his religious
duty of eagle
gathering by the Navajo police a couple of years ago, there was
no
apology from the Navajo Nation leadership.
"When a shrine was destroyed by Navajos during a Hopi
pilgrimage, there
was no apology. When Hopi pilgrims were fired on by the Navajo,
there
was no apology.
"There will be no apology from the Hopi now.
"Apologies are appropriate only when a wrong has occurred
and from the
Hopi point of view the wrong is on the hands of the Navajo
resisters and
their non-Hopi supporters.
"To them we say: leave Hopi land. It is irresponsible to
undermine and
risk tearing down the pillars of the 1996 Peace Accord for the
sake of
political expediency."
However, President Begaye said the action of bulldozing a
ceremonial
site was too extreme.
"The Hopi government appears to be persecuting these
families for their
religious beliefs, as well as for their heartfelt desire to stay
on
their ancestral lands and to continue their traditional
ways."
Responding to Begaye's statement that tribal relationships have
been
damaged, the Hopi Tribe said Navajos who chose to sign
75-year-lease
accommodation agreements with the Hopi Tribe need the support of
the
Navajo Nation in order for it to work.
"The Hopi and Navajo people who chose peace offered by the
accommodation
have the support of the Hopi, they need the support of the Navajo
Nation.
"The 1996 Navajo-Hopi land Dispute Settlement Act needs the
support of
the Navajo Nation administration. Without this support, the
message
becomes very clear -- crime and irresponsibility pays."
Kuwaninvaya said
Hopi have entered into peaceful negotiations with Navajo to
resolve the
land dispute.
"No single issue has consumed more valuable time and
irreplaceable
resources than the century-old dispute between the Navajo and
Hopi over
Hopi ancestral land.
"In spite of the turmoil, the Hopi have been steadfast in
their belief
that peace between our two people can best be achieved through
mutually
agreed upon solutions and agreements.
"Our actions have repeatedly borne this out. The Hopi Tribe
is a small
tribe whose history speaks volumes of its patience and dedication
to
peace and harmony."
Kuwaninvaya said the Hopi Tribe offered a peaceful solution in
1991 to
the Navajo-Hopi Land dispute through the accommodation agreement
to
Navajo families desiring to stay on Hopi Partitioned Lands.
He said Navajo families that remain on Hopi Partitioned Lands who
did
not sign the 75-year-lease agreements would be evicted.
"These people are trespassers and they will be evicted.
"The Hopi will never again tolerate a situation where our
lands are
stolen, our people abused and our laws ignored.
"When so-called religious ceremonies become little more than
political
rallies, both the Hopi and the Navajo lose. The actions of the
resisters
do not support peace between the two tribes."
Printed for educational purposes only: The news that is reported
is not
necessarily the viewpoint of IndigenousNews
Reprinted under the Fair Use
Law: Doctrine of
international
copyright law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
ENOUGH! Statement by Leonard Benally in response to
desecration of
sacred site: Sundance Grounds
To all the people Indigenous and non-indigenous people,
On August 17th at 5 am this was a disgrace, humiliating, and
disregarded
our right to pray which is supposed to be protected under the
American
Indian Religious Freedom Act, and now they are trying to scare
and
frighten the people with their violent behavior. These old
tactics from
the 1800s are old government tactics, now this is the 21sty
century the
new millennium and we pray and we have faith and we have courage
to
stand up against something that is inhumane because we are part
of the
earth creation too. We want to be free like everyone else, and
live our
traditional lives in peace and dignity on our ancestral homeland
for our
future generations and generations to come.
Today we are saying the words to what happened to us at Big
Mountain Aug
17, 2001 at 5 am. Various statements were made and some were good
and
some were out right fat lies, because the ten remaining families
are all
indigenous to the land Black Mesa, the motherland of Big
Mountain. They
are mostly almost all elderly people and very few young people,
and we
are humble. And we are poor people but we are rich in spirit with
honor
and dignity because they took everything from us: land, water,
the
animals and now they are even trying to take the air that we
breathe.
But our dignity is not for sale and we will not surrender. We
will not
give up, and many of our ancestors on Black Mesa never
surrendered. They
suffered to protect their homeland the Black Mesa because yes,
even some
of our fore fathers and foremothers were put on a Death March in
the mid
1800s to Fort Sumner New Mexico, and along the way they were
murdered
and they were starved to death, and some of our people even froze
to
death while they were in the Death Camp. There was physical and
spiritual death, but our ancestors had great courage and they did
not
die in vain, through all their suffering they only complained a
little,
but they survived through all these things and today we are
humbled to
say we are the direct descendents of our ancestors that protected
Black
Mesa who never surrendered even though they were brutally
massacred by
the Spanish invasion and the Kit Carson invasion. And now today
we are
invaded again by Wayne Taylor and the BIA who are using the same
systematic strategies to eliminate our culture. And this
Resistance is
the only thing our ancestors left for us, our inheritance.
Traditions
and language and ceremonial life and the spiritual values, this
is what
we are carrying on. We speak our own traditional Dine language
and that
gives a different worldview and reflects a kinship to the nature
of our
homeland. Our language is the same language that is now
recognized forty
to fifty years late by the US government for winning the war for
them on
Foreign soil. And now the so called "tribal government"
has crumbled
with corporate laws. Its all about corporate needs, not about
human
needs, and so we say where is the Democracy and Freedom of
Speech? And
where is our right to pray on our traditional customary use
areas? They
treat us like foreigners on our own land. They ask for permits
and
ordinances and we do not understand these things.
These man made corporate laws and corporate armies are denying
the
traditional Dine and Hopi people from praying together, we have
now
found ourselves suffering and struggle under the Dictatorship of
corporate Hopi chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. And yes, we were invaded
by his
cop BIA army 2 times in the last 30 days. And yes they shut off
the
water for the entire community 2 times, in the past month. They
brought
in ambulances and the driver acknowledged that he had no medicine
box
aboard. When I asked them why they were there (during desecration
of the
Sundance grounds early in the morning) they said they were on
"standby"
in case if they shoot somebody. This is a psychological war
declared 32
years ago when they established PL 93-531 which is a declaration
of war
against the culture and the people. They inflict on us miseries
and
death, saying that they are not violent. The relocation and the
accommodation agreement is nothing but empty promises and we've
seen
with our own eyes that they are "professionals of
violence."
They say that an unidentified Navajo woman asked for protection
from the
Hopi BIA rangers to protect her livestock and her property.
Number one
she is a resident on the NPL side and she collaborated with armed
forces
before the roadblocks began around our Sundance Ceremony and at
our
ceremony we do not have political allies, nor do we sell snow
cones or
t-shirts. It is a prayer ceremony, and we have the right to pray.
This
unidentified Navajo woman terrorizes her neighbors, and takes
children
to jail and court, as if she is paid to develop criminal records
on
these children. Mainly she is territorial of her whole area, and
seems
that she may be paid to try to start criminal charges on these
children.
Also last night I heard on KTNN news as they were spreading
propaganda
using my brothers name and in Dineh language they were using him
as an
excuse to come into our community armed with many guns,
ammunition and
ambulances. My brother John was praying at our ceremony, sweating
in the
sweat loge and Sundancing. The people who were there know John
and
witness that he never threatened an officer.
On the second military invasion the Hopi rangers even stated that
John
was much calmer than the woman they arrested while they were
desecrating
our Sundance grounds. Yes, they use any excuse they can to
rationalize
their violence against us. Most of their excuses are lies and the
truth
is now coming out about the genocide and the genocidal policies
they are
carrying out on us. If anyone is "lawless" it is the
ones using violence
against us. Even though the Hopi traditionals are speaking out
against
the Hopi Tribal Government's genocidal policies, the traditional
Hopis
are against violence.
They, the Hopi Tribal Council, say we have outside agitators. But
they
have a foreigner Claire Haywood as their spokesperson, someone
from the
British Empire who is trained very well to speak Hopi
government's
propaganda. They paid her good to lie on the internet and on the
newspapers. Some of our supporters were born on American soil,
that
makes them native to America. And our supporters are our
witnesses to
the Truth. And yes, they are punished for speaking out the
Truth.
We, the Dineh people have Never invaded the Hopi Villages and we
have
Never stolen anybody's land. We never abused any Hopi people.
These are
slanderous lies that I heard Cedric say on KTNN radio. All we
know for a
fact is that the US government, is the one that stole Indian Land
and
water and we are not going to die. We on Big Mountain will never
surrender.
In our Language there is no word for giving up. And we are going
to
rebuild our arbor sweat lodges and the Tree of Life will return.
And
this time we will have to protect it from the violence and
desecration
of the corporate army which is run by the "peaceful"
Hopi Tribe. And now
we place ourselves under the international laws and of course our
own
natural laws which show respect for all life.
In solidarity with all indigenous people who are speaking out for
their
aboriginal rights
Leonard Benally
Dineh Resistor
Destruction Of Sacred Sundance Site addrssed
please post widely!!
DESTRUCTION OF SACRED SUNDANCE SITE
By Lone Bear
"Respect" was the keynote of the six-member, all-Indian
panel that met
at the Little America conference center in Flagstaff, Arizona,
Wednesday
(8-30-01) evening to discuss the desecration earlier this month
of a
Sundance site at Big Mountain, Arizona, by the Hopi Tribal Land
Team.
Respect for the rights of Indigenous People to live on their
ancestral
homelands. Respect for the constitutionally guaranteed
rights of all
people to worship their Creator as they choose. Respect for
sacred
sites such as Big Mountain, as well as all others. Respect
for Mother
Earth and all life.
In a clearly articulated and sometimes emotionally charged
manner,
Navajo Sundance Overseer Alan Jim told the gathering, "It is
a very sad
day when we see our own brothers destroy such a sacred site. My
heart is
concerned for those who asked for this action to happen, and for
those
who carried it out. They have violated a Sacred Road to the Great
Spirit." Louise Benally, caretaker of the desecrated
Sundance site,
said "To desecrate such a sacred site and feel good about it
is a sign of
a sick mind."
Traditional Navajo Medicine Man, Jones Benally, said, "We
don't want
to be destroyed. We respect and do not destroy any one else's
way. Even
when the white people came to this country and built their
churches, we
did not destroy them. We must carry on as brothers and
sisters."
Lakota Chief and Sundance leader Bill Crazy Bull said he was
"appalled
at the assault on the Sundance way of life and the assault on the
Lakota
Nation."
Kee Watchman, a Traditional Navajo and delegate to the United
Nations,noted that the U.N. has passed resolutions urging
governments to
protect sacred sites and still the Hopi Tribal Council, the
Bureau of
Indian Affairs and the U.S. government do not respect or protect
their
sacred sites.
On Aug. 17 at 5:30 a.m., the Hopi Tribe's Land Team, aided by the
BIA
and the Navajo County Sheriff's Department, raided the Camp Anna
Mae
Sundance site with up to 60 officers, a bulldozer, a backhoe,
chainsaws
and other equipment. Heavily armed for their assault, they
brought along
ambulances,apparently expecting
bloodshed.
Without warning or warrant, the ceremonial site was invaded. The
Sundance Tree of Life, its eagle feathers and prayer offerings as
well
as the Arbor, were cut down and shredded, and the entire site was
bulldozed, including the sweat lodges. Two people were arrested
and
taken to jail for trespassing.
After the site was cleared, a posted notice declared that the
area was
closed to anyone without permission from the Hopi Tribe.
According to
the sign, the site is closed "for natural resource
development
purposes".Exploration has disclosed that the site sits on
one of the
largest remaining coal deposits in the country.
Members of the panel pointed out that the Hopi Tribe does not
intend
to live on the disputed ancestral land, They only want to mine
it. Such
an action, to the Navajo and most other Native people, is
considered an
egregious lack of respect for their Mother Earth as well as a
violation
of the Creator's laws for harmonious living.
===== Black Mesa Indigenous Support (BMIS) is a group of
individuals
acting to support the sovereignty of the indigenous people
affected by
mining activities on Black Mesa, who face forced relocation,
environmental devastation, and cultural extinction at the hands
of
multi-national corporations, and United States and tribal
governments.
http://www.blackmesais.org
=========================================
Please visit http://www.theofficenet.com/~redorman/pagea~1.htm
for more background on the Big Mountain relocation issue.
Boulder Weekly's Sun Dance article
By Pamela White
For the Boulder Weekly
"The nation's hoop is broken and scattered. There is no
center any
longer, and the sacred tree is dead." Black Elk
High in the Arizona desert, branches of cedar lie in scattered
heaps in
the sand. Among them rest the remnants of prayers strips of
red and
yellow cloth, bundles of white sage, and bits of tobacco. Piles
of
blankets stand where there once were sweat lodges. In the center
of the
debris where the Sacred Tree stood, there is a three-foot-deep
hole
surrounded by tire tracks.
This is all that remains of the Camp Ana Mae Sun Dance grounds.
Employees of the Hopi Tribe bulldozed the site on Aug. 17 under
the
protection of the Hopi police, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a
federal
agency, and the Navajo County Police, an Arizona state agency,
leaving
many in the American Indian community shocked and outraged.
The incident marks the latest chapter in the decades-long
conflict
between the traditional Diné people of Black Mesa, the U.S.
government,
and the Hopi Tribal Council and raises serious questions about
religious
freedom for American Indians. It also calls into question the
role of
federal and state agencies, which are bound by the Constitution
and by
federal law to protect American Indian people's access to
traditional
spiritual practices.
The Hopi Tribe's action has alternately been compared to the
burning of
black churches in the American South, the destruction of
Palestinian
homes by Israelis, and the recent blasting of ancient Buddha
statues by
the Taliban in Afghanistan. But while those events were highly
publicized and were met with public outrage, the destruction of
the Camp
Ana Mae Sun Dance grounds has gotten little media attention and
heard
even less outcry.
Conflict and ceremony
The Hopi Tribal Council claims destruction of the Sun Dance
grounds was
necessary to prevent illegal political activity. Hopi staff
arrived at
Camp Ana Mae at about 5:30 a.m. and used chain saws and
bulldozers to
remove the Sun Dance arbor and the Sacred Tree. Sacred objects,
including strips of cloth representing individual prayers (prayer
ties),
bundles of white sage used for purification, and even flesh
offerings
were bulldozed into the dirt when the altar was torn down. Two
people
were arrested during the raid.
"This is just one of the steps that the Hopi Tribe will be
taking to
enforce its jurisdiction over the Hopi Reservation," said
Cedric
Kuwaninvaya, chairman of the Hopi Land Team. "We will keep a
close eye
on the former site of Camp Ana Mae to ensure that the trespassers
do not
try and establish another camp at which they hold unwanted
gatherings
and celebrate their lawlessness."
The trespassers to which Kuwaninvaya refers are members of the
Benally
family who live there. Elder matriarch Ruth Benally and her
extended
family have lived on and around the site, named after murdered
Indian
activist Ana Mae Pictou-Aquash, for several generations, raising
sheep
and goats and growing corn.
The Benallys became trespassers on their homesite after Congress,
at the
urging of a white attorney whose firm secretly represented
Peabody Coal
Company, passed a law dividing land used by both Diné and Hopi
into Hopi
Partitioned Land (HPL) and Navajo Partitioned Land (NPL).
The Benallys, along with an estimated 15,000 other Diné, were
caught on
the wrong side of the fence and were given the choice of signing
75-year
leases that acknowledge Hopi land ownership or facing forced
relocation.
To date, 10 families have refused to sign leases because they
believe
the conditions of the lease violate their religious rights. About
1,000
Diné remain on HPL.
"There is no word 'relocated' in the Diné language,"
says Pauline
Whitesinger, an elderly Diné woman and non-signer who lives on
Black
Mesa, where she raises sheep and grows corn. "To relocate is
to die."
The Benallys, like many of their neighbors, decided to resist
relocation. Although newspapers at the time predicted a
"range war," the
Diné turned to prayer instead of violence. In 1985, elders from
the
Benally family, together with other Diné and some Hopi, decided
they
wanted a new form of prayer to make them stronger and traveled to
South
Dakota, where they asked Lakota chiefs to share the ritual of the
Sun
Dance. Their journey was viewed as the fulfillment of both Diné
and
Lakota prophesy and was treated gravely by both sides with
gift-giving
and ceremony.
"It hurts my heart deeply to see this, but I never thought I
would live
to see it," says Joseph Chasing Horse, a hereditary Lakota
Sun Dance
chief. "We are praying for the Hopi people."
Chasing Horse has been leading the Sun Dance at Camp Ana Mae, the
homesite of Ruth Benally and her extended family, for 16 years.
In that
time, the Sun Dance has caught on like wildfire among the Diné.
In
recent years, as many as four Sun Dances have been held around
Black
Mesa, some attracting 500 dancers. The ceremony is now a part of
life
for many Diné and some Hopi.
The purpose of the Sun Dance is give back to the Earth what
people have
taken, Chasing Horse says. The ceremony is called wiwang wacipi
in
Lakota, which translates roughly to "dancing in balance in
the circle of
life," and entails four days of fasting and offering one's
own flesh and
blood through piercing. The ceremony is held in a circular arbor
which
represents the Sacred Hoop. At the center is the Tree of Life, a
cottonwood, which is covered with prayer ties.
This year's Sun Dance was held in mid-July. Although the Hopi
blocked
the road and threatened to cite anyone attending the ceremony
with
trespassing, the ceremony continued, dancers bringing in the
Sacred Tree
under cover of darkness.
In response, the Hopi police invited five women, most of them
members of
the Benally family, to come with them to Kykotsmovi, where Hopi
government offices are located, to speak with tribal Chairman
Wayne
Taylor about a permit. When they arrived in Kykotsmovi, Chairman
Taylor
was not available. The women asked to be returned to Camp Ana Mae
but
were arrested and taken to jail. In addition to the arrests,
numerous
citations were handed out.
"That's kidnapping to me," Chasing Horse says. "So
they kidnapped our
elders thinking they were stopping the ceremony by taking them
out of
there."
It's not the first time the Diné have had difficulty performing
the
ceremony at Camp Ana Mae. In 1999, Hopi Rangers, BIA police, and
state
police set up road blocks near the site because the Benallys had
not
obtained a permit for the ceremony. Hopi Rangers searched cars,
confiscating water, food, and medical supplies, and threatened to
arrest
dancers. Many white supporters were turned away. Some feared it
would be
the last Sun Dance to take place at Camp Ana Mae.
For the Diné the issue is simple: Black Mesa is their home, and
they
have a right to live there and to follow their spiritual
traditions
without permits.
Claire Heywood, spokeswoman for the Hopi Tribal Council, said the
heart
of the issue from the Hopi perspective is this: It's Hopi land,
and the
Hopi want it back. The Hopi don't object to the Sun Dance as long
as it
isn't held on their land.
Because of the recurring difficulty each summer, a decision made
to
dismantle the site. The Hopi had no difficulty and felt no
foreboding
tearing down the Sun Dance structures, she said.
"We don't view that as a sacred site it's just a site
where sacred
ceremonies take place," said Heywood, a white South African.
"Are the Hopis insane?" asks Boulder attorney Lee Hill,
a Choctaw and a
member of the American Indian Movement (AIM). "To the degree
that the
U.S. government is encouraging this, it is an act of cultural
genocide."
Careful to distinguish the Hopi Tribal Council from the Hopi
people,
many of whom reject the U.S.-created council, Hill said the
tribal
council is exhibiting attitudes toward land that were introduced
by
Europeans.
"I would be terrified to do something like that," Hill
said. "I don't
think actions like that happen without severe consequences."
Politics and prayer
Heywood, who admits she has never been to the Ana Mae Sun Dance,
was
skeptical about the nature of the ceremonies held at Camp Ana
Mae. The
ceremonies, she said, were more political rallies than spiritual
gatherings. The Hopi also object to the fact that so many
outsiders,
specifically white activists, attended ceremonies there.
"We resent all those strange people coming out,"
Heywood said.
Chasing Horse called Heywood's allegations "absurd."
"Perhaps she needs a class in cultural sensitivity,"
Chasing Horse said.
The Sun Dance predates U.S. law and should be respected, he said.
Boulder residents Paul Soderman and Cathie Quigley have attended
the Sun
Dance at Camp Ana Mae for the past 10 years. The couple run The
World
Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to building
cross-cultural unity for all people, and have close ties to both
Lakota
and Diné people.
Invited by a Sun Dancer, the two have acted in a support
capacity,
tending the fire, helping with sweats, and transporting supplies.
For
them, the Sun Dance is a way to pray.
"In our view, the focus of this ceremony has been purely
spiritual
despite the land dispute. We have no opinion on the land
dispute,"
Soderman says. "To us, that's an outside issue."
Having attended other ceremonies elsewhere that included strong
political messages, Soderman and Quigley say they feel
comfortable at
Camp Ana Mae because there is no political agenda.
According to Soderman, when Chasing Horse spoke to the dancers
prior to
this year's Sun Dance he simply said, "Let's go pray."
"It impressed me," Soderman said.
The destruction of the Sun Dance grounds came as a shock to
Soderman and
Quigley, who got the news from Chasing Horse himself.
"If you're involved in that prayer, you're connected to
these things in
every way spiritually, emotionally, physically," Soderman
says.
"Everything there is a living prayer, so how it felt to us
is a
violation of our being."
Quigley said she felt a terrible sadness when she heard what had
happened. However, she draws comfort from the thought that
people's
prayers are safe.
"There's nothing they can do," Quigley says. "In
my opinion, bulldozers
and chain saws can never stop a prayer. The prayer
continues."
Louise Benally agrees.
"The people's prayers are still in place," Benally
said. "We will have
our ceremonies. Our ceremonies will go on regardless of their
aggression. That's one thing they're afraid of spiritual
unity,
spiritual solidarity."
Benally's son, Eric Crittendon, was one of the two arrested
during the
raid. Crittendon tried to take pictures and refused to leave the
area..
He is facing trespassing charges.
"I'm proud of him," says Benally, one of the five women
arrested in
July. "He just turned 18, but Eric has grown up here, so
he's very aware
of a lot of stuff. With Grandma going to jail in the '70s and
'80s and
Mom, too, he's aware of how people are treated out here."
That treatment includes harassment and cultural insensitivity,
relocation resisters say. When the five women were arrested, two
elders
Pauline Whitesinger and Ruth Benally were forced to wear
pants in
jail, something foreign to traditional Diné women, who wear
skirts. It
was interpreted as a sign of disrespect.
"I was a woman, but now I'm a man," Whitesinger
reportedly said after
being forcefully stripped of her skirt and made to don pants.
Whitesinger had never worn pants in her 80-plus years and was so
uncomfortable she tore a sheet off her jail cot and wrapped it
around
her waist like a skirt.
Fear and the future
On Aug. 25, many traditional Diné attended a meeting at Camp Ana
Mae
despite Hopi threats of arrest to voice their concerns to Navajo
Nation
President Kelsey Begaye. Sitting in the heat for several hours,
Begaye
listened while Diné elders expressed their grief, anger, and
fear, some
elders breaking into tears.
"The destruction of this Sun Dance ground should be a sign
to the Navajo
Nation that someone is going to get hurt," said Joyce
Wagner.
Begaye has already issued a statement lambasting the Hopi
government
and asking for an apology.
"The Hopi government's decision to bulldoze the Sun Dance
ceremony site
at Big Mountain is deplorable," Begaye stated. "In the
strongest terms,
I object to such a violent action against the Navajo families who
reside
on Big Mountain and who participate, as part of their spiritual
beliefs
, in the Sun Dance ceremony ... Like all peoples, the Navajo
families on
Big Mountain should have the freedom to practice their
non-violent
beliefs without governmental interference."
Members of the Navajo Nation Council are considering issuing a
resolution condemning the action, although no specific plans are
yet in
place.
As the dust settles at Camp Ana Mae, Diné residents of HPL say
they are
now living in fear.
"It always hangs in the back of my mind what they'll
do," Benally says.
Hopi officials say they continue to ask the Justice Department to
forcefully evict the 10 families that have refused to sign
leases.
Kuwaninvaya publicly stated the Hopi government's intent to step
up
those efforts.
On one thing the Hopi government and Diné agree: The United
States is to
blame for their current predicament. The Hopi say the U.S.
government
started it by allowing the Diné to settle on land intended for
the
exclusive use of the Hopi. The Diné fault the federal government
for
funding and supporting the actions of the Hopi Tribal Council.
"Because we don't ask permission to pray, they call us
lawless," Benally
said. "They're the ones who are lawless because they don't
follow the
Constitution of this country."
An official from the BIA said BIA agents did nothing illegal or
unconstitutional when they offered support to the Hopi in
dismantling
the Sun Dance site.
"I would refer you to the Ling decision," said Tom
Davis, western
regional range management specialist for the BIA.
That decision, handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, stated that
one
group of people cannot hold another group hostage because of
religion,
Davis said.
"Your religious interests are well and good, but you can't
use them to
control what someone else does on private land," he said.
The BIA was on hand simply to protect both the Diné and the Hopi
from
one another during the demolition, Davis said. He has no worries
that
the agents' presence will be found to violate either the
Constitution or
federal law.
Meanwhile, chiefs and spiritual leaders from several Indian
nations are
gathering and heading as a group toward Big Mountain to pray and
to
stand up for the Sun Dance. Among them is Arvol Looking Horse,
chief of
the Lakota and 19th-generation keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo
Calf
Pipe Bundle.
"My prayer is for this issue to be resolved in a most
Peaceful way,"
Looking Horse said in a written statement. He accused the Hopi
who
destroyed the Sun Dance site of having a "disease of the
mind."
Chasing Horse, who will be joining them, said the words of Black
Elk
have been in this thoughts since he got word of the destruction.
When
chain saws cut down the arbor and the Sacred Tree, Black Elks'
prophesy
about the broken hoop and dead Tree of Life was fulfilled, he
says. The
repercussions affect everyone, not just Native people, he said.
"If there's going to be any hope in this world, we must mend
that hoop
and make that tree live again."
Hazel James
NASA/JPL Navajo Field Coordinator
The World Hope Foundation
1202 Harmony Way
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
520-779-9322
email: Hazel.James@nau.edu
or Hazbah@yahoo.com
Educational Website: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ice_fire/
![]()
Link to: GRASS ROOTS OGLALA LAKOTA OYATE Official Proclamation
![]()
![]()
Link to: Wounded Knee Remembered
![]()
Link to; The BIA Apologizes{?}
![]()
Link to; The story of the takeover of the Pine Ridge Council Building
![]()
Link to; The View From The Hogan #10
![]()
Link to; The View From The Hogan #11
![]()
Link to; The View From The Hogan #12
![]()
Link to; The View From The Hogan #13
![]()
Link to; The Last Wild Man In North America
![]()
Got any news-worthy messages you would like to see posted here?
© Copyright reserved-Ouachitalk.com-2001
LAST UPDATED September 11, 2002
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