FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (PNN) - July 8, 2010 - Armed agents of the Amerikan Gestapo Coconino Country Forest Service and Coconino County Sheriff divisions unlawfully enforced desecration of the sacred fire of Native Americans holding a ceremony for the San Francisco Peaks on Friday.
Lakota Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, was among the medicine people present when the sacred fire was desecrated.
Speaking on the importance of the sacred fire, Native medicine people gathered said, "We have been placed on our lands as Aboriginal Indigenous Nations of the People with sacred instructions and responsibilities placed within us by the Creator to follow the Laws of the Creator."
Although the ceremony had received a permit, apparently the fascist outlaw thug head of Coconino Forest Department changed his mind. Amerikan Gestapo agents arrived armed with a K-9 unit and one person was issued a citation.
The action of the fascist pig thug officials at the Forest Service in Arizona was similar to the abuse and trickery of Amerikan Gestapo Forest Service division agents just days before, during a ceremony of the Winnemem Wintu in Kalifornia.
A permit issued for a river closure to protect the sacred Coming of Age ceremony, was used
against the Winnemem Wintu, who were unlawfully cited by terrorist outlaw thug officials.
"Acting Regional Forester Becki Heath told us before the ceremony that law enforcement wouldn't use our river closure against us. Instead, our chief received two citations for holding ceremony like we always have," Winnemem Wintu said in a statement today.
On San Francisco Peaks in Arizona, Fascist Police States of Amerika pig thug Forest Service officials threatened Indigenous spiritual leaders, medicine people, and elders with legal implications if they kept alive the sacred fire at a ceremony on San Francisco Peaks, sacred to 13 area Native American Nations, including Navajos, Havasupai, Hualapai, Hopi and Pueblos.
Native Americans gathered issued a statement about the desecration. The desecration violated Native American religious freedom laws.
“Although a voluntary closure order for the Traditional Cultural Gathering was previously granted by Coconino Forest Supervisor M. Earl Stewart, Stewart apparently changed his position and issued the threat as the four day ceremony was initiated on July 4, 2012."
“When confronted by Forest Service officials, members of the Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples Council, the group hosting the Traditional Cultural Gathering, invited Forest Service officials to sit with elders to resolve the Forest Service’s concerns with the ceremonial fire. Coconino Forest Supervisor Stewart stated in a letter dated July 5, 2012, ‘non-compliance will result in citations for having a fire during restrictions and/or camping in a closure area without a special use permit.’”
Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples Council had worked to inform the Coconino National Forest of this ceremony since December 2011 and again met with Coconino Tribal Relations on February 27 and June 21 of 2012 to answer questions and to make sure the Forest Service was fully aware of the Council’s activities.
On May 17, 2012, the Forest Service was notified that a sacred fire was central to the Traditional Cultural Gathering.
