Native Americans say expanding ski resort sullies their religion

Native Americans say expanding ski resort sullies their religion{mosimage}Southwestern Indian tribes protested Thursday in front of a federal appeals court over the proposed expansion of an Arizona ski resort they say desecrates land they hold sacred.

About 50 American Indians, some wearing traditional garb, burned sage, chanted and held signs that read ”Save the Peaks.” Inside, the courtroom was filled to capacity, mostly with Indians, many of whom had traveled from Arizona to attend the hearing.

”Their plans to make snow, if allowed, would be cultural genocide,” said Kelvin Long, a Navajo who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. ”What we’re doing here is trying to protect that and trying to protect our heritage.”

The protest came ahead of a hearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the tribes’ bid to block upgrades to the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort.

U.S. District Judge Paul Rosenblatt ruled in January the tribes ”failed to present any objective evidence that their exercise of religion will be impacted by the Snowbowl upgrades.” The tribes appealed to the San Francisco-based appeals court, which covers nine western U.S. states.

The resort, one of two in Arizona, is about 15 miles north of Flagstaff in the Coconino National Forest. It says it may go under if it cannot use machine-made snow to combat erratic snowfall. It also wants to add a fifth lift and a tubing area, and to tear down and groom dozens of acres of forest.

Indians consider the resort an affront, and say they believe it could be the cause for the Sept. 11 attacks, the 2004 tsunami, recent hurricanes and the Columbia shuttle crash. They say the resort’s expansion could lead to other catastrophes.

— The Associated Press