Slideshow

Save the Peaks Coalition in Pictures

Native News Network Staff in Native Challenges. Discussion »

SAN FRANCISCO - The solidarity of the supporters of the Save the Peaks Coalition was demonstrated by the coming together of 150 American Indians from numerous American Indian tribes on Monday, as they gathered to conduct a prayer vigil and to march to the James R. Browning United States Courthouse.

Special recognition should be given to Rocky Yazzie, Diné, from Pinion, Arizona, who now lives in Los Angeles. To show his support, Yazzie prepared fry bread, corn mash, tortillas and more. He cooked them on a gas burner outside the federal court house. Yazzie gave the food away to anyone who needed it.

Several cars traveled by caravan from Flagstaff, Arizona to San Francisco to bear witness to a court case regarding their sacred mountains, the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona.

These mountains are sacred to the Navajo, Apache, Hopi and Tohono O'odham Peoples, among other tribes.

Protester on Court Steps

A ski resort, Arizona Snowbowl, in its effort to make more profits, wants to use chemically treated sewer water to create snow on this high desert mountain. These mountains are sacred to the Native people and they fear the long term health and well being effects from this treated water.

Special thanks to Arthur Jacobs, who contributed to this article and was the primary photographer of pictures in the slideshow.
posted January 12, 2011 11:50 am est