4th Listening Session on Sacred Sites Set at Mohegan Sun Today

Native News Network Staff in Native Briefs. Discussion »

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT – The fourth of five in a series of listening sessions will be held this morning, Friday, August 24. The Obama Administration recognizes that the protection of sacred sites on federal lands is integral to traditional religious practices, tribal identities and emblematic of sovereign tribal nations.

Friday, August 24

These sacred site listening sessions are intended to assist in developing policies that result in effective, comprehensive and long lasting federal protection of and tribal access to the places that are so important to the fabric and culture of tribal nations.

To address tribal concerns regarding sacred sites issues, the US Department of the Interior will conduct listening sessions on sacred sites in general, as well as knowledge relating to specific sites on Interior managed tribal trust and other federal lands. The Department will be better equipped to make decisions that are sensitive to the ceremonial use and physical integrity of sacred sites through the benefit of tribal input and views on such matters.

Because many Indian tribes have belief systems that discourage or even prohibit the disclosure of the location or other information about sacred sites and places, Interior will respect tribal requests that information about such locations be kept confidential and only share this information with appropriate agency personnel.

WHAT:
Fourth Department of the Interior listening session on sacred sites in Indian country

WHO:
Tribal leaders from the Eastern Region and other regions
Jonodev Chaudhuri, Counselor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior
Sequoyah Simermeyer, Counselor to the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior

WHEN:
Friday, August 24
9:00 am – 12:00 pm edt

WHERE:
Mohegan Sun Casino
1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard
Uncasville, Connecticut 06382

posted August 24, 2012 7:00 am edt