FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 10, 2010
Teaching to be Held on Sacred Sites and Treaty Rights
CONTACT: standfortheland@gmail.com
A teaching on treaty rights and sacred sites will be held on Saturday, May 15 at 11 a.m. at Eagle Rock (migi zii wa sin), in Michigamme Township. The teaching is open to the public.
Eagle Rock (migi zii wa sin) has been assessed as a sacred place by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office and is eligible for listing on the National Historic Register as a traditional cultural property.
Tribal members and treaty rights speakers will discuss the importance of preserving Native American sacred places and explain First Amendment rights to religious freedom. An overview of the Treaty of 1842, in which the United States government ceded the area to the Ojibwa, will be also given. The public and mine supporters are encouraged to attend.
According to one speaker, Jessica Koski, a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, “the event at Eagle Rock this Saturday is a very important educational opportunity. Our struggle for the land and Eagle Rock is one of many. Native Americans and indigenous peoples throughout the world face similar struggles to protect their homelands, sacred places and cultures.”
“The Constitution of the United States of America embraces the concept of liberty, freedom and justice for all, but Native Americans have been repeatedly denied this widespread democratic belief,” says Koski.
“Our stand at Eagle Rock is an important one,” says Koski. “This is a time of global environmental destruction and also a time of cultural revitalization for our people. We need to protect our last remaining sacred places and assert our rights and values for the land, water, plants and wildlife. Our desire and right to continue our cultural traditions depends upon the protection of our land bases and natural resources. Asserting our Treaty Rights will continue to be an extremely important strategy and will challenge the privileges afforded multinational corporations and the state.”
Please contact standfortheland@gmail.com for any questions or comments or to schedule an interview.