Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

July 7, 2012

Armed agents desecrate sacred fire at sacred San Francisco Peaks



Chief Arvol Looking Horse 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe.
Forest Service agent Osborn is the one desecrating the sacred fire.
Chief Arvol Looking Horse present as armed agents desecrate sacred fire on San Francisco Peaks

By Indigenous Action Media
Posted at Censored News
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/07/armed-agents-desecrate-sacred-fire-at.html

Armed agents from Forest Service and Coconino County Sheriffs enforced desecration of the sacred fire at a ceremony for the San Francisco Peaks on Friday. Law enforcement agents also had a K-9 unit. One person was issued a citation.
Photos by Libby Williams





Previous news release and WAYS TO TAKE ACTION NOW!: http://www.indigenousaction.org/forest-service-threatens-legal-implications-and-assault-of-sacred-fire-at-sacredholy-peaks-ceremony/

Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples

Formal Statement July 6, 2012

“The Creator gave the Aboriginal Indigenous Nations of the People Laws to follow and responsibilities to care for all Creation. These instructions have been passed down from generation to generation from the beginning of Creation. It is the Law that no one can overpower the Creator’s Law, you are a part of Creation, thus if you break the Law, you are destroying yourself.


We speak on behalf of all Creation: the four legged/those that swim/those that crawl/those that fly/those that burrow in the Earth/the plant and tree Nations. This one life system includes the elements of fire, water, earth and air, the living environment of “Mother Earth”.

The Sanctity of the Creator’s Law has been broken. The balance of life has been disrupted. You come into life as a sacred being. If you abuse the sacredness of your life then you affect all Creation. The future of all life is now in jeopardy.

We have now reached the crossroads. As Aboriginal Indigenous People we ask you to work with us to save the future of all Creation.”

The Holy/Sacred Ceremonial Fire unites us as Aboriginal Indigenous Nations of the People on our threatened Holy/Sacred Mountain (San Francisco Peaks) on July 4-7th 2012.

The holy/sacred ceremonial fire renews our connection to all Creation, it carries our prayers and represents all life. When it pertains to our ceremony or ceremonial fire it is imperative for the Forest Service to acknowledge that the Indigenous Peoples are the sole authority on our culture and way of life and any decisions that do not attain our free, prior and informed consent are not consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

A great urgency is in our midst with the wind, water and fire showing it’s power because of the imbalance from over management. As these fires burn, throughout the west and around the world, they are forever disrupting and destroying not only homes of the two-legged, but also many lives and homes of the animal, plant and tree Nations.

After much time spent on educating the Forest Service on the importance of our role as the Original Caretakers of this Land. We feel great sadness for the Forest Service as they have given the Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples Council no choice. The choice to violate our own cultural protocols or face legal implications is not consistent with creating a working relationship with Indigenous Peoples. The holy/sacred fire will continue. We refuse to participate in this atrocity; it is up to the Forest Service to determine whether they will disrupt these prayers. We will have no part in this act! Our prayers are to protect the sanctity of the threatened sacred/holy mountain including forgiving those that continue to desecrate life. We are spiritual people and we maintain peace through our ceremonies.

We are united under the Creator’s Law. We are from various Indigenous Nations and are spiritually related. We have been placed on our lands as Aboriginal Indigenous Nations of the People with sacred instructions and responsibilities placed within us by the Creator to follow the Laws of the Creator. Federal agencies use terms like federally recognized and federally unrecognized. We see this as your way of dividing the Indigenous Peoples. We are united under the Creator’s Law, as United Indigenous Nations, to protect and extend Life for all future generations.


REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COUNCIL

Chief, Arvol Looking Horse
19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe
Spiritual Leader
Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nations

Bobby C. Billie
Clan Leader and Spiritual Leader
Council of the Original Miccosukee
Simanolee Nation Aboriginal People

1 comment:

Unknown said...

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BIG MOUNTAIN AS A WORLD AS YOU ALL HAVE NEVER KNOWN or as you wish to not know: prophecies were mentioned by both Dineh and traditional Hopis, we have to return to Creator's Road. Instead, we divert from that to honor and value the colonial doctrines and keep expecting It to privilege us "rights." I was at the Big Mtn. Sun Dance during this 'sacred fire' thingy for the Peaks, and all I heard from Dineh speakers was "We need to honor our veterans!" We no longer honor our true warriors, but instead we pray and empower the colonial forces that could obliterate our human identities. Their colonial laws will march over us IF we don't seek solidarity and the truth of real land-base liberation like the Relocation Resisters of Big Mtn.

-Kat