[Announce-DAN] native rights Calls & Emails needed Now

[Doc Rosen <drdrdoc@dr.com>]

native rights



> National Park Service (NPS) seeks to deny religious
rights of Native
> People
>
>
> HISTORICAL CONTEXT
>
> In 1952, the National Park Service began development
of Piscataway Park,
> about 30 minutes south of Washington DC, along the
Maryland banks of the
> Potomac river.  This park contains the traditional
burial grounds of the
> Piscataway tribe, which has been a sacred site to the
Piscataway for
> many
> centuries.
>
> The Piscataway hold ceremonies at these sacred
grounds 4 times each
> year,
> although the 'permission' from the Park Service to do
so has not been
> easily
> obtained.  Negotiations with the NPS over
arrangements have been
> frequent
> over the past decades, as the NPS frequently imposes
new restrictions
> over
> the access to the land on which the hereditary chiefs
have been buried
> for
> many hundreds of years.  At times, the Piscataway
have had to threaten
> lawsuits in order to keep these ceremonial rights
from being eroded
> further.
>
> During the 1980's, the Park Service repeatedly
dismantled the
> sweatlodge,
> which the Piscataway repeatedly rebuilt.  By approx.
1989, Chief Billy
> Tayac
> had negotiated arrangements with the Park Service,
allowing the
> sweatlodge
> to remain permanently on the ceremonial grounds.
>
> THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY
>
> But then yesterday (Feb 8th), Piscataway chief Billy
Tayac received a
> letter
> from the National Park Service, which stated that the
Piscataway must
> dismantle and remove the sweatlodge at the end of
this weekend (feb
> 11th)
> after the mid-winter ceremonies.
>
> This outrageous demand is yet another in a long
history of unreasonable
> restrictions by the NPS in their harassment of the
Piscataway people.
>
> The NPS has the sweatlodge insultingly listed as a
"Demonstration
> Structure"
> as though it were some place for political rallies or
protests, instead
> of a
> center for religious worship.
>
> There are NO issues of adverse environmental impact
here.  Though they
> have
> not yet (to my knowledge) made that claim as a basis
for this new
> restriction, that is often the excuse they have used
in the past for
> issuing
> onerous restrictions on access to the grounds.
>
> There are NO issues of public safety.  Between
ceremonies, the
> sweatlodge is
> filled with very large & heavy logs, so that no one
can enter (unless
> they
> are willing to spend a couple of hours of heavy
labor, lifting and
> lugging
> heavy wood out through the small entrance).
>
> WHAT YOU CAN DO
>
> 1) anyone wishing to provide legal (or other
assistance) to the
> Piscataway
> tribe in this anticipated fight, please contact:
>
>    Chief Billy Redwing Tayac  301-932-0808
>    or contact his niece via email:  mediac@erols.com
>
> 2) please contact the Capitol Region Superintendent
of the NPS,
>
>    John Hale
>    National Park Service - Capital Region
>    1100  Ohio Drive, SW
>    Washington, D.C.  20242
>
>    phone:  202-690-5185   -or-  202-619-7256   (not
sure which one is
> best)
>         fax:  202-690-0862
>    e-mail:  John_Hale@nps.gov
>                NACE_Superintendent@nps.gov
>
> and *politely* - but firmly - inform him that this
new restriction is
> NOT
> acceptable, specifically that:
>   - it impinges on the free exercise of religion,
>   - it violates the spirit and intent of NPS mandates
and programs that
> exist to protect and encourage the traditional
practices of Indian
> tribes on
> 'public lands.'
>
> Calls are needed ASAP, but please ALSO consider
writing him a letter
> (since
> written records provide documentation of public
outrage).  Please note
> on
> your letter that it is being CC'd to Chief Billy
Tayac;  these copies of
> your letter can be sent to the Tayacs via e-mail to: 
mediac@erols.com
>
>
> re: NPS RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT NATIVE RELIGION
>
> The NPS website explicitly mentions the Park
Service's obligation to
> protect
> the exercise of native religion on traditional lands
(see link below),
> and
> that they were directed by Congress in 1990 to
establish a program
> (Tribal
> Preservation Program) to "assist Indian tribes in
preserving their
> historic
> properties and cultural traditions."   Their website
also pays homage to
> the
> principle that exercise of religion is essential to
preserving Native
> cultures.
>
> www.nps.gov/legacy/leg_natv.html :  "American Indian
Religious Freedom
> Act,
> 1978 - This act protects and preserves the inherent
and constitutional
> right
> of the American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native
Hawaiian people to
> exercise their traditional religions."
>
> You may also wish to CC a copy of your letter to the
folks at the NPS
> office
> of Tribal Preservation Program:
>
>    Tribal Preservation Program
>    Heritage Preservation Services
>    National Park Service
>    1849 C Street, NW
>    NC200
>    Washington, DC. 20240
>
>    Bob Ruff:   (202) 343-9572
>             fax:   (202) 343-6004
> = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

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