purpose
This section highlights a few locations that are sacred to different groups of Native Americans. In keeping with the theme of the course, this page utilizes the ideas of movement and freedom in different ways. These locations across the U.S. show both the geographical scope of Native American struggles, as well as the back and forth between certain Native American groups and the U.S. government.
Locations and Sites
Bear Butte Mountain
Bear Butte Mountain is located in the northernmost part of the Black Hills in South Dakota. It is still a sacred site for the Northern Plains Indians and has a long history. It is highly regarded as a site for spiritual growth and continues to be a host of of various ceremonies and Sun dances. Today, it is open to anyone, asking the question, how can this site be properly protected? [1]
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The Black Hills
The Black Hills have long been a site of controversy when it comes to the U.S. government and the Sioux tribe. The conflict dates back to the 1850s, but came to a head in 1888 when North and South Dakota were admitted into the Union, requiring all indigenous peoples to become US citizens. Today, many American Indians are still fighting for the land they believe was rightfully granted to them via treaties in the the 19th century. Sioux elders have since turned down compensation efforts offered by the US government in an attempt to settle. [2]
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Sogorea TE
This sign highlights the modern day struggle between American Indians or people of Native American descent and modern commercialism. These signs are protesting the building of a parking lot for areas in Glen Cove that have become nature parks, despite the fact that Sogorea Te is a documented sacred site and burial ground. [3]
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KAHO'OLAWE, HAWAI'I
After 1941 and Pearl Harbor, the US Military declared Martial Law in Hawaii, which led to the use of the island held sacred by native Hawaiians as bombing range. In 1990, President Bush ordered a halt to all military activities on the island, even though the Navy had been required to start soil conservation and overall re-vegetation in 1980. Today, work is still being done to conserve the island and revamp its ecosystem.[4]
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San Francisco Peaks
The San Francisco Peaks, located in Flagstaff, Arizona, are a sacred site that holds relevance for 11 different native tribes. In recent years, the city and the Hopi Tribal council have been at odds. Skiing on the mountains has always been controversial, but that did not stop a ski resort from being built on the grounds. More recently, a settlement was agreed upon in 2016 that mandated the city to build a water filtration system for the water running off the mountains in exchange for the Hopi Council dropping its lawsuit against the city of Flagstaff. Much of the conflict surrounding the settlement stems from the fact that the decision was relatively private and did the parties involved did not thoroughly consult various sub-groups of either side, according to Indian Country Today [5].
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Text Citations:
[1] Little Finger, Leonard. “We Walk on Our Ancestors: The Sacredness of the Black Hills.” Cultural Survival, Mar. 2014, Retrieved from: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/we-walk-our-ancestors-sacredness-black-hills
[2] Schilling, Vincent. “Bear Butte Mountain: A Beautiful, Sacred Site in South Dakota.” IndianCountryToday.com, Indian Country Today, 7 Apr. 2009, Retrieved from: newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/bear-butte-mountain-a-beautiful-sacred-site-in-south-dakota-Ya-LxUFaF0is45w3SpBzeg/
[3] “About Sogorea Te.” Protect Sogorea Te, Retrieved from: protectsogoreate.org/about/
[4] Richardson, Mahealani, et al. “TIMELINE: A History of Heartache and Healing on Kaho'olawe.” Hawaii News Now, 26 Feb. 2018, Retrieved from: www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37587043/timeline-a-history-of-kahoolawe/
[5] Minard, Anne. “San Francisco Peaks Settlement Between Hopi and Flagstaff Comes Under Fire.” IndianCountryToday.com, Indian Country Today, 10 Mar. 2016, Retrieved from: newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/san-francisco-peaks-settlement-between-hopi-and-flagstaff-comes-under-fire-99Hwd1cuDESnWqDgS5Dofg/.
Image Citations:
Bear Butte October 23, 2006 by Lars Plougmann CC BY-SA 2.0
Black Hills August 19, 2011 by Navin75. CC BY-SA 2.0.
A sign at Sogorea Te (Glen Cove) depicting the struggle over land rights July 20, 2011 by dignidadrebelde. CC BY 2.0.
Kaho'Olawe February 21, 2013 by Mer. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Coconino National Forest August 5, 2014 by Brady Smith, National Forest Service. CC BY-SA 2.0