Hopi Tribe’s Cultural Preservation Office to Sponsor On-Reservation March in Support of the Save the Peaks Coalition

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. — The Cultural Preservation Office of the Hopi Tribe will sponsor a march on the reservation in support of the Hopi/Tewa Save the Peaks Coalition’s opposition of the proposed use of reclaimed water on the San Francisco Peaks. The march will occur on Tuesday, March 23 and begin in front of the tribal headquarters concluding at the Hopi Veteran’s Memorial Center, both of which are located in the village of Kykotsmovi.
This stems from a Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) released on Feb. 2 by the Coconino National Forest Service for the Arizona Improvement Project which calls for artificial snowmaking on 205 acres of skiable terrain using waste water.
“From a purely cultural perspective, such action by the Arizona Snowbowl and consequently the Coconino National Forest Service is disheartening because the San Francisco Peaks, which we call Nuvatukyaovi, meaning “Place of Snow on the Peaks,” are considered by all Hopi people to be a central and essential element of Hopi culture, religion, and survival. The Peaks are the home of the Katsinam and the focus of our prayers for rain and snow, and the use of reclaimed water on such a sacred site can only be described as sacrilegious,” said Cultural Preservation Director Leigh Kuwanwisiwma.

(more)Since 1979, the Hopi people and the Hopi Tribal Council have adamantly opposed the continued development and expansion of the Arizona Snowbowl. The Tribe feels strongly that artificial snowmaking will have a significant adverse effect on the overall environment of the Mountain and watershed, which will ultimately affect the condition of this historic property that is in the process of being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.
While the Tribe does support the elimination of the night lighting system and nights skiing that were originally included in the proposal, the unwavering concern about the proposed use of recycled waste water for snowmaking at the Snowbowl remains. The Tribe has always maintained that position especially in corresponding with the Coconino National Forest Service.
“The Hopi Tribe is united in our stance and will continue to reiterate our profound disagreement with the proposed action until our legitimate claims have been heeded by the Forest Service and the Arizona Snowbowl. We believe that we are also entitled to the fundamental freedoms guaranteed all citizens by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which we believe should be honored by all parties,” said Hopi Chairman Wayne Taylor, Jr.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Vice Chairman Caleb Johnson who recently spoke on the Tribe’s behalf at a Save the Peaks Coalition meeting in Flagstaff. “The Hopi Tribe is very disappointed with the Snowbowl project. We are convinced this is a sacred mountain. God needs to be respected by all people, especially by those who live in Flagstaff,” he said.
The Hopi Tribe has worked closely with the Coconino National Forest on numerous issues and will continue in this manner. The Tribe will accept the assurances that the Forest Service will take into account the Hopi concerns about the expansion and snowmaking, as well as listening to other Tribes and groups that have similar serious concerns about impacts of the Proposed Action.
For more information about the Hopi/Tewa Save the Peaks Coalition march, please contact LeeWayne Lomayestewa at (928)-734-3616, all other information and inquiries may be directed to Vanessa Charles at (928)-734-3283 or e-mailed at VCharles@hopi.nsn.us.

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