







An organization called The CookShack is raising support for a base camp to open on Friday, July 15, on the San Francisco Peaks, where they will lay plans for a sit-in aimed at stopping treated sewage effluent from reaching the ski slopes at the Arizona Snowbowl.

According to the group's Web site, TrueSnow.org, 11 base camps are "set and 15 more have announced they have started travel, and growing."

The base camps will serve as places where supporters can gather, camp and organize. Their ultimate goal is to stage a sit-in in hopes of blocking timber clear-cutting and other construction aimed at enabling the ski area operators to pipe in reclaimed wastewater for their snowmaking machines.

"(W)e the people DO NOT approve of the use of treated sewage effluent to make snow," the group states on its Web site.

People who want to show their support are advised to make individual choices about the need to hide their campsite or wear a mask to hide their identity, the Web site instructs.

The groups claim they are doing nothing illegal.

Kristopher Barney, Diné, was one of the six protesters who tied himself to an excavator to stop pipeline construction June 16. Barney, who is Honágháahnii (One Walks Around Clan) born for Tl'ááshch''' (Red Bottom Clan), challenged those who sympathize with the cause to get active.

"My question is: Where are all our young people, where are the adults, where are the medicine people. Where is everybody?" he said at the time.

The CookShack is asking for support, donations for food, gear, supplies and medical supplies. They also want to let it be known that this is a drug/alcohol/hate-free encampment.

The Snowbowl has already started clearing trees to make way for a new ski run approved by the U.S. Forest Service.

"We need to upgrade the ski area because it's so old. Just like any other business we upgrade," said J.R. Murray, general manager. "It's public land, not reservation. All the issues they want to talk about have been handled by the courts and not much I can say. The court rulings are in our favor.

"I think it's wrong that those protesters they think they can lay a claim on the peaks and deny other peoples from their enjoyment," Murray said. "It has been 73 years, where tens of thousands of people enjoyed skiing on Snow Bowl."

Asked about what he thought about how Native Americans view the Peaks, Murray said, "I think it's fine. They are certainly entitled to their viewpoint and their cultural perspective."

When he was asked about using reclaimed wastewater, he said, "It's good water. The water we are going to use is cleaner than any other ski area. This is probably going to be the cleanest water used for snowmaking anywhere in the country."

But Barney said, "We still have people that still pray in the old way with the herbs and the medicine that is on the Peaks. If this continues the medicine will get tainted and hurt the ceremonies. I, personally want to see my culture survive because without it, who are we?"

Information: www.truesnow.org and www.arizonasnowbowl.com.

Back to top ^

