Sunday, July 13, 2014

Totem Pole Journeys



Another Totem Pole Journey will be starting on August 17, 2014.
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

2 comments:

Tara said...

is the issue that the wishes of the Lummi Nation are not going to be honored? Does this sacred site fall under their ownership? Not that ownership is everything, mind you. I'm just trying to get clarity on the issue.

July 14, 2014 at 2:13 PM
am said...

Good questions, Tara. Thanks for watching the video.

My understanding is that the issue is treaty rights in regard to salmon fishing as well as negative environmental impact to the people of the Lummi Nation and their 13,000-acre reservation lands.

SSA Marine, an international shipping giant, wishes to ship coal via trains from Montana and Wyoming to a major deep-water port that is proposed to be built on land adjacent to the Lummi Nation and in the midst of its treaty-guaranteed traditional fishing waters.

Here is the Lummi Nation's position statement, written by Lummi Indian Business Council Chairman, Tim Ballew:

"The Lummi Nation has a commitment to protect the treaty fishing right provided by the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855. With that commitment comes the need to protect both our habitat and our usual and accustomed territory. The proposed development at Cherry Point would clearly create unavoidable adverse impacts. These proposed impacts would be permanent and the Lummi Nation does not foresee any way to mitigate the damage. The project would have a direct impact on the Nation's fishing right and our way of life. We hold the Army Corps of Engineers accountable to uphold the Federal Government's trust responsibility to protect the treaty fishing right."

There is concern that the wishes of the Lummi Nation will not be honored, despite treaty rights.

This gives the historical context:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA54BPsSgi0

July 14, 2014 at 4:25 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)