Hopi Chairman Nuvamsa responds to 'Reclaim the Peaks'

A colorful summertime view of the sacred San Francisco Peaks (Photo by Gary Elthie/NHO).

A colorful summertime view of the sacred San Francisco Peaks (Photo by Gary Elthie/NHO).

The Hopi Tribe and Hopi Tribal Council are members of the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. However, when questioned about the Reclaim the Peaks! campaign, Hopi Chairman Ben Nuvamsa had no knowledge of the campaign. In addition, he was opposed to the use of Chamber monies to support the use of reclaimed wastewater on the Peaks.

"Basically we're optimistic that the panel will affirm the earlier Ninth Circuit decision because it is our basic right, our religious right that can be exercised because we hold this mountain to be sacred. Any other decision would result in the violation of our right and anybody's right to freely exercise our religion-which is assured to us by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act," Nuvamsa said.

"We believe that we provide a greater amount of economy-we, Native Americans-to the economy of Flagstaff simply everyday. That is more of an economic contribution to the City of Flagstaff than Snowbowl," Nuvamsa explained.

"With global warming, snowfall is very limited. Sometimes the White Mountain ski area can't even open, because there's not enough snow. So, when you think about it economically and long term, is this a losing proposition?

"I think more recognition should be made to the fact that the people from the reservations contribute significantly to this community-we provide long term, stable economy to the city of Flagstaff," Nuvamsa said.

"The mountain is very sacred to us, not only on the religious side of things, but when you look at environmental-how are clouds formed? [reclaimed wastewater] is not pure water.

"Our songs, our Katsina songs and our other religious songs, prayers, talk about purity and regarding things as holy. When you look at that, when you really analyze that, what type of impact would [using reclaimed wastewater on Nuvatukyaovi] have on our songs and prayers?

"For example, when you pass away, when you go back to your Mother Earth, and your spirit then leaves you, we believe that the spirits do become a Katsina and these Katsinas are our ancestral spirits and the clouds are Katsinas. For example, when you put somebody away, four days later he's coming back in the form of clouds-coming back to visit-to give back and bless us with his spirits. This use of reclaimed wastewater, would be interrupting and making it unpure.

"You weigh all of that you know, years and years of our people and what we relied on how we survived and so on and what we believed in and so traditionally you look at all those centuries of all that knowledge and practice and so on and then you look at it environmentally, now, is it worth risking all that with a few thousand-million that you would a year, in a short span of time? Is it worth damaging all that? I say, I don't think so.

"I hope that they stay the decision. It's going to be a costly battle.

"Whatever they're saying from the Chamber of Commerce, being a member of the Chamber of Commerce, we have to be notified."

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