A Native American on How Non-Indigenous People Can Stop Colonialization

by Self-Hating Caucasian Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 at 10:24 PM

The first event in the campaign to save the sacred San Francisco Peaks occurred at Self-Help Graphics on December 8.

A Native American on...
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On December 8, Self-Help Graphics hosted a panel discussion about protecting sacred places.

The reason for the event, of course was the threat of a ski resort in the San Francisco Peaks, but the panel discussed several other colonialist projects being fought. Among them, a proposed toll road (the 241) in Orange County, which would come very close to a burial ground, one that is on the list of Registered Sacred Sites, and make it impossible to have ceremonies there.

According to Cindi Alvitre of the Moompetam (Saltwater) Clan, development in “the United Snakes of America” has always been frenzied, but it accelerated exponentially after World War II.

During an open session with the audience, the panel was asked how Caucasians can help with these issues. Alvitre provided several answers: stop (or at least reduce) consuming. As an example, she noted that people who ski tend to create demands for resorts like the one being fought in Arizona’s San Francisco Peaks. She also emphasized food sovereignty (i.e., learning how to grow your own food, or at least buy food grown locally). Also, “take care of each other,” and “create, don’t destroy.”