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Court to reconsider sacred mountain row

"Native American Chief Tsosie of the Navajo tribe poses at U.S. exhibition stand at the 41st International Tourism Industry Fair (ITB) in Berlin"
2007-10-17 18:45:35

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court said on Wednesday that it would reconsider its decision that barred an Arizona ski resort from using treated sewage to make snow on a mountain sacred to several Native American tribes.

The long-running case has pitted economic and leisure interests against the beliefs of American Indian tribes, with both sides winning at various stages of the litigation.

In March, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Navajo Nation and other tribes in finding that treated waste water should be barred under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. That law which says the federal government may not "substantially burden a person's exercise of religion."

Without offering their reasons the judges on the 9th Circuit based in San Francisco agreed on Wednesday to have a 11-person expanded panel of judges reconsider the earlier ruling.

The Arizona Snowbowl resort on a federally owned mountain 150 miles north of Phoenix wanted to use artificial snow to assure a long consistent season. According to the Navajo Nation, the San Francisco Peaks are sacred to more than 13 Native American nations.

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Always modern man trying to take back what it gave to Native Americans, whom they nearly beat into extinction,or should I say they tried too. Don't we have enough snow. If the Arizonans want more snow let them move north.

Let the Native American's have what is rightfully theirs. Man's laws cannot go against the everlasting beliefs of the Native Americans.
    Posted by: thunder on 2007-10-18 18:42:10  
    
For some reason, the white man fails to realize that a church or any house of worship does not have to be a building. My church is my field overlooking the mountains near where my home sits. I sing songs of praise and often read my bible there. Part of it was recently sold and three new houses are there now. Part of the place where I would walk and speak to God has been desecrated by others who have no respect. Just like the people who assend the sacred Rainbow Mountain trails for hiking and leave litter everywhere for the Native American to clean, my sacred place is now scattered with all types of toys and trash. The new houses look like trash, with the same junk scattered all around and half complete after 3 years. And the mouth on the one mother is trash. Unfortunately, you can hear her cussing and swearing two blocks away. The berries were left to rot in the sun this summer after the "little monsters" picked them all and left them on the street in their containters. Too bad for the animals who eat them. Native flowers I nurtured to bring back in mass are thoughtlessly mowed without a care. Thank God school is in now because there is peace again for a while, and I can go and sit with my dogs, and walk and pray in peace. If only the Native Americans could be able to keep their worship areas. But, they have to have special permission to even have their camping worship events at Rainbow Bridge. Can you imagine having to get special permission to go to Sunday service. Or, negotiating to hold a service? Yes, this is a land of religious freedom, but only if it is someone elses religious freedom. I would love to know where this person worships. It probably isn't a church, but a Sunday morning golf outing. It would be nice to have sewage water in the drinking fountain and chalice if they do go to church, or water the golf fields with sewage water if they don't. I wouldn't want to ski on that course, God knows what illness you will contract. And, is that water with your meal or in your bath recycled? UGH!! May the Native Americans prevail.
    Posted by: SoundTheHorn on 2007-10-19 01:43:38  
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