protect the Peaks! action update

Protect the Peaks! Week of Action Update 1

On Friday, August 5th, more than 50 people marched through the streets of downtown Flagstaff to raise awareness of Arizona Snowbowl’s eco-cide and desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks. The march was part of a week of action to bring community members together to protect the Peaks.

On May 25th 2011, authorized by the the Obama Administration’s Department of Agriculture and US Forest Service, owners of Arizona Snowbowl began further destruction and desecration of the Holy San Francisco Peaks. Since then Snowbowl’s crew of a handful of workers has laid over 5 miles of the planned 14.8 mile wastewater pipeline. They have cut a six foot wide and eight foot deep gash into the Holy Mountain.  Snowbowl is currently in the process of clear-cutting more than 30,000 trees and burning slash-piles.

Before the march began Flagstaff Cops kicked protestors out of Hopi Square, demonstrators continued nearby flyering and engaging in a spontaneous community forum about the issue.

Carrying banners that read, “Stop Snowbowl Cultural Genocide” and chanting, “Community Health Over Corporate Wealth!” marchers walked and took the streets for more than two hours distributing flyers.

A member of Youth of the Peaks, an Indigenous youth organization, witnessed Flagstaff Police Department Officer Simpson badge #41 texting “dealing with mother f–kers.” A crowd erupted in protest as he was reprimanded by a superior officer. An “official” report of misconduct was later filed against him.

A 2-story banner reading, “Environmental Degradation, Cultural Genocide, Racism, Public Health Threat. Don’t Regret Today. Destroy Snowbowl,” was hung over the square where hundreds of people were gathered during Flagstaff’s monthly Art Walk.

At approximately 7:30PM, as the crowd of 50 marchers crossed Aspen St., a Flagstaff cop grabbed one person from behind and arrested him for “obstructing a public thoroughfare.”

“Native Rights, Human Rights, Public Health, and respect descend on the heiarchy of social perception; while big brother and businessmen exchange hand shakes, lady liberty smiles oil, uncle sam perpetuates environmental disorder, and effluent water delivers the slope of tears.” stated Ron Thompson, who was arrested and released less than 3 hours later. “I had no descrepancies being selected in the school of fish by the shark to represent the voice of the unheard. That voice is the civic duty of the free society and the fines of tyranny will always cost more than obstruction of public thoroughfare.”

Some protestors creatively contributed political

art to “Art Walk” by hanging signs that read, “I love eating poop snow.”

Messages such as, “Your Silence Doesn’t Stop the Truth” were also projected onto buildings along with images of Snowbowl’s recent clear-cutting of the Holy Mountain.

Indigenous youth also held a “Zombie March” with over two dozen young people dressed as Zombies symbolizing the public health threat sewage effluent snowmaking poses.

From August 4-9, 2011 events are planned in Flagstaff, Arizona to protest Snowbowl ski area and the Obama administration’s US Forest Service sanctioned desecration of the holy San Francisco Peaks.

 BACKGROUND:

Although a current legal battle is under appeal, Snowbowl owners have chosen to undermine judicial process by rushing to construct the pipeline.

Encampments have been established on the holy Mountain in protest of the destruction and desecration.

All are welcome to camp and bear witness to Snowbowl’s desecration.

For more than a dozen years Indigenous Nations, environmental activists, and concerned community members have worked together to protect the holy site and surrounding area from further ecological destruction, public health threats, and spiritual desecration.

Arizona Snowbowl’s development plans include clear-cutting 74 acres of rare alpine habitat that is home to threatened species, making new runs and lifts, adding more parking lots and building a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport up to 180 million gallons (per season) of wastewater to make artificial snow on 205 acres. The Peaks are central to the ways of life of more than 13 Indigenous Nations.  The use of wastewater undermines internationally recognized rights of Indigenous people; rights that the Forest Service and administration is obliged to protect.

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