President Begaye Deplores <br>Bulldozing Of Sundance HPL<br>Ceremony Site By Hopi Tribe<br>

Window Rock, Navajo Nation (Arizona) – Office of The President: The Hopi government’s decision to bulldoze the Sundance ceremony site at Big Mountain is deplorable. In the strongest terms, I object to such a violent action against the Navajo families who reside on Big Mountain and who participate, as a part of their spiritual beliefs, in the Sundance ceremony. The Hopi government appears to be persecuting these families for their religious beliefs, as well as for their heartfelt desire to stay on their ancestral lands and to continue their traditional ways.

The Sundance ceremony has been performed at Big Mountain for a number of years at the request of the Big Mountain Navajo families. It has become an important part of their spiritual lives. Like all peoples, including the Hopis, the Navajo families on Big Mountain should have the freedom to practice their non-violent beliefs without governmental interference.

Native peoples have, all too often, seen their sacred places damaged or destroyed by non-Natives. It is shocking to see one Native government do the same to another Native community.