Post by blackcrowheart on Oct 29, 2005 11:49:28 GMT -5
Petroglyph Editorial by Chairman of All Indian Pueblo Council
Publication: Albuquerque Journal
Date: 06/25/2003
Section: Op-Ed
Edition: Final
Page: A11
Word Count: 411 word
Keywords: religion; background; environment
Headline: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By: AMADEO SHIJE, Chairman, All Indian Pueblo Council
Native Concerns Trampled by Paseo Extension
RE: "Paseo Road Extension Isn't About Race or Religion" by
columnist Alan Reed
As chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, ... I must respond
and correct the public record. ...
Many leaders of the Native American community have consistently
and publicly opposed the extension of Paseo del Norte through the
Petroglyph National Monument, both collectively and individually.
The National Congress of American Indians, the All Indian Pueblo
Council, the Southern Pueblos Governors Council, the Five Sandoval
Indian Pueblos, the Pueblo of Sandia, the Pueblo of Isleta, the
Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, among other tribes and interested
groups, have officially adopted and issued joint resolutions and
letters of opposition.
These efforts date back more than 10 years, and have continued
throughout the period since. In light of such documentary evidence,
how could anyone fairly ask: "Who knows what current responsible
Pueblo officials think?" ...
Sacred areas such as the Petroglyphs are as important to some as
churches, temples, and synagogues are to others. Members of our
native communities share the same basic rights to religious liberty,
personal privacy, and cultural respect as any other citizen. ...
The June 20 opinion piece made a number of demands based on
dubious claims, cultural insensitivity, and a shallow interpretation
of public debate. First, no one has the right to define
the "appropriate rituals" for a so-called "major religion," as the
writer asserts. Who among us would have the wisdom, knowledge, and
range of insights necessary to do so for someone else's faith?
Additionally, in our free society, our individual spiritual
beliefs and diverse cultural traditions are not subject to majority
rule. It is unfair and arrogant to claim that "obstruction of the
road at this point is simply incompatible with a belief in the
democratic process."
After years of participation in the democratic process,
reasonable alternatives and accommodations that might have fairly
addressed religious and cultural concerns have been repeatedly
ignored.
Finally, the area in dispute is publicly owned. ... All
community members and taxpaying citizens retain the right to express
their personal positions regarding ... the use of our public
resources. ...
After years of difficult dialogue and debate about an issue so
crucial to our whole community's heritage and future, we must not
lose sight of the basic values we all share. These values include
mutual respect for all of our religious liberties and all of our
political freedoms.
AMADEO SHIJE, chairman
All Indian Pueblo Council
story copyright © 2004 by Albuquerque Journal, Journal Publishing
Co.
Publication: Albuquerque Journal
Date: 06/25/2003
Section: Op-Ed
Edition: Final
Page: A11
Word Count: 411 word
Keywords: religion; background; environment
Headline: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By: AMADEO SHIJE, Chairman, All Indian Pueblo Council
Native Concerns Trampled by Paseo Extension
RE: "Paseo Road Extension Isn't About Race or Religion" by
columnist Alan Reed
As chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, ... I must respond
and correct the public record. ...
Many leaders of the Native American community have consistently
and publicly opposed the extension of Paseo del Norte through the
Petroglyph National Monument, both collectively and individually.
The National Congress of American Indians, the All Indian Pueblo
Council, the Southern Pueblos Governors Council, the Five Sandoval
Indian Pueblos, the Pueblo of Sandia, the Pueblo of Isleta, the
Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, among other tribes and interested
groups, have officially adopted and issued joint resolutions and
letters of opposition.
These efforts date back more than 10 years, and have continued
throughout the period since. In light of such documentary evidence,
how could anyone fairly ask: "Who knows what current responsible
Pueblo officials think?" ...
Sacred areas such as the Petroglyphs are as important to some as
churches, temples, and synagogues are to others. Members of our
native communities share the same basic rights to religious liberty,
personal privacy, and cultural respect as any other citizen. ...
The June 20 opinion piece made a number of demands based on
dubious claims, cultural insensitivity, and a shallow interpretation
of public debate. First, no one has the right to define
the "appropriate rituals" for a so-called "major religion," as the
writer asserts. Who among us would have the wisdom, knowledge, and
range of insights necessary to do so for someone else's faith?
Additionally, in our free society, our individual spiritual
beliefs and diverse cultural traditions are not subject to majority
rule. It is unfair and arrogant to claim that "obstruction of the
road at this point is simply incompatible with a belief in the
democratic process."
After years of participation in the democratic process,
reasonable alternatives and accommodations that might have fairly
addressed religious and cultural concerns have been repeatedly
ignored.
Finally, the area in dispute is publicly owned. ... All
community members and taxpaying citizens retain the right to express
their personal positions regarding ... the use of our public
resources. ...
After years of difficult dialogue and debate about an issue so
crucial to our whole community's heritage and future, we must not
lose sight of the basic values we all share. These values include
mutual respect for all of our religious liberties and all of our
political freedoms.
AMADEO SHIJE, chairman
All Indian Pueblo Council
story copyright © 2004 by Albuquerque Journal, Journal Publishing
Co.