Category Archives: Native American Rights

On August 31, members of the Ho-Chunk tribal court and other elders sent a letter to EPA’s Nancy Stoner, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, stating their belief that the National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Assessment involving the sacred site known as Eagle Rock, omitted key considerations.

They contend that the consultation process should have involved all Chippewa tribes, not just the Lake Superior group, and that it should have taken into consideration the significance of the site to indigenous peoples who occupied the region before the Chippewa.

A 2010  Resolution adopted by the National Council of American Indians notes that “Eagle Rock has been linked to ancient ceremonial sites in Wisconsin and Montana by local tribal history and more recently by exhaustive research and on-site surveys…”

The letter also states that the Act was not properly administered by the Michigan DEQ, since the State regulatory agency determined that Eagle Rock was not a place of worship because it did not have a building on it. Continue reading →

Hurley - Iron ore made this town, and many people believe an open-pit mine will help revive the fortunes of this once-bustling community.

“We need jobs now – not 10 years from now,” said hardware store owner Jack Giovanoni, who supports plans for a $1.5 billion mine 20 miles away.

But the project is emerging as a classic jobs-vs.-environment battle as opponents question how a large mine could influence another natural asset of the region – its water resources.

While the developer, Gogebic Taconite, hasn’t formally applied for a construction permit, the project is coming under fire from environmental groups and from a nearby Indian tribe.

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In a July 2009 letter, Jon Cherry, former General Manager for Kennecott’s Eagle Project, says that “Kennecott’s commitment to respecting the cultural values of American Indian communities near its projects is a function of company practice, not just statutory requirements.”  Why, then, have they chosen to ignore pleas from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, other tribes, and local citizens ̶ as well as a recommendation from a state judge ̶ to move their mine portal away from the immediate vicinity of Eagle Rock, a site which is considered sacred and of great cultural significance?

The American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) of 1978 was created by Congress to protect and preserve for American Indians their right to express their native religions, including access to and use of sacred sites.  A 1994 amendment clarifies that “the Native American religions hold certain lands or natural formations to be sacred.”

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There’s been a flurry of new mining proposals in the ceded territory of Lake Superior, threatening to overwhelm Ojibwe bands that are pledged to protect that region

The land ceded by the tribes to the U.S. government in the 19th century treaties is huge. It includes northeastern Minnesota, almost all of northern Wisconsin, most of Lake Superior and all of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The treaties gave up the land but guarantee protection of cultural and natural resources.

Click here to read the entire article:  http://www.businessnorth.com/kuws.asp?RID=3717

We need to call out the troops for as large a rally on the Marquette County Courthouse steps as we possibly can  – with flags, banners and signs flying. September 28th, 8 am (pleas revisit the website for possible time change). Continue reading →