Proposed Landfill Will Trash Sacred Sites

[walksalone11]

Proposed Gregory Canyon Landfill To Be Near Pala Indian Reservation

June 2, 2010
http://www.10news. com/news/ 23775530/ detail.html
 
 
 
Local Native American tribes say a proposed landfill in North County means trash could be dumped on sacred ground.

Supporters said the landfill will save taxpayers money, but the tribes are uniting to fight it.

Nineteen southern California tribes paid nearly $50,000 to put a three-day, full-page ad in the Union-Tribune saying sacred places deserve respect.

"We are a firm believer in what we do and our practices are sacred to us," said Robert Smith, the chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians.

The Gregory Canyon landfill project was delayed for two decades because of permit requirements. It would be built three miles east of Interstate 15, near the Pala Indian Reservation.

The tribe granted 10News access to a spiritual site called Chokla. At the site, Medicine Rock stands 75 to 80 feet tall, covered with pictographs which date hundreds, if not thousands of years.

"Basically they're going to put trash in a native sacred site to Native Americans," said Smith.

The proposed landfill would cover 1,700 acres close to the Pala Reservation.

The landfill's developers told 10News the project is state of the art, environmentally secure, and would save ratepayers by ending the trucking of trash to Orange County, Otay Mesa or Santee.

Environmentalists call it dangerous because the landfill would be at the mouth of the San Luis Rey River, which covers several aquifers below.

"That area is used by people from here all the way to Oceanside," said Tribal Director of Environmental Services Lenore Lamb. "And that could be potentially disastrous to everyone who relies on safe drinking water."

Developers said voters approved the project twice in the last ten years. The tribes said the issue was put on what they called a "deceptive ballot initiative" only after Gregory Canyon's plans were repeatedly rejected.

"People were misinformed, " said Smith. "They didn't know where it was."

Pala, with its support from southern California tribes and environmentalists, hope their ad attracts other supporters to what it called a critical meeting Thursday night, where the public can voice their concerns to the Army Corps of Engineers.

Gregory Canyon Limited called the ad outrageous and an attempt to rally emotions. A spokeswoman told 10News a state environmental report showed the project will have no significant impact.

 

[AmyTrivitt]

What an awful scenario. I cannot imagine nineteen tribes speaking out on this. It just makes you think the past is being relived again.

[yaayme]

This doesn't surprise me, they're always putting landfill's and toxic plant's next to poor people and people of color. I Just saw a program a few day's ago on CNN about a small community in Louisiana that's surrounded by 15 toxic plant's and the people are getting sick and dying. It's a damn shame.

[walksalone11]

Try googling "uranium mining on the Pineridge reservation in South Dakota......I went to the area back in February after the blizzards I was posting about back then.

I visited the Cheyenne River rez, Pineridge rez and the Yankton rez.......the desperate conditions these people face every single day is heart breaking.......

[walksalone11]

Oh yeah.....you could also Google the San Francisco Peaks where we have a long ongoing battle to try and stop a ski resort from using treated sewage to make snow with.....the Peaks are also sacred to several tribes.

[bschumacher]

Have those trying to save the sites enlisted the help of universities and archaeologists?

[walksalone11]

Have those trying to save the sites enlisted the help of universities and archaeologists?

We have and continue to explore any and all avenues of support and assistance with these many instances.
I certainly appreciate your suggestions.

historically, archaeologists tend to shy away from "sacred site" issues.

It is almost impossible for them to legally access such sites for study and other academic purposes, which, most archaeologists feel they have the "right" to do.

Our position is completely opposite and there are many morals, prejudices, egos and other issues which have to be over come on both sides of that relationship, however, we have in some instances been assisted by archaeologists.

I think these as well as any other potentionally positive and beneficial relationship should be explored and considered in any of these issues. 

[FuzzyCottonsocks]

You know, it's like this country hasn't taken enough from Native Americans.  Why can't they do this elsewhere? Dump the trash on the lawn of the White House. Bet that mess will be cleaned up before this oil spill.

[Oryon20]

Or at the rate things are going, just dump it in the Gulf of Mexico.  What's a little trash in addition to millions and millions of gallons of oil?  Not like the Gulf is going to recover on an ecological level in any immediate future...

But seriously, this should be a much bigger deal and is quite ridiculous.  I hope the tribe and the environmentalists win out on this. 

This also raises the issue of just landfills in general.  We need to find alternatives for trash.  Can you imagine what some areas will be like in 500-1000 years from now with the rate of which we are creating and filling new landfills?