final version of dissertation
TRANSCRIPT
Student Number: 200882440
Year: Final
Module Title: Dissertation
Word Count: 11,346
Tutor’s Name: Dr Jenel Virden
Peak Issue:The different effects the Snowbowl Ski resort may have on the
city of Flagstaff due to its future planned expansion using reclaimed water.
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Contents Page:
1. Introduction2. Chapter One: Background/Current Issue3. Chapter Two: Religion/Culture4. Chapter Three: Science5. Conclusion6. Bibliography 7. Appendix
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Introduction:
The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the issues, feelings, concerns and
potential effects on the local population and environment of the city of Flagstaff. As there is a
proposed plan to make snow from reclaimed water by the Snowbowl Ski resort company to
use manmade snow on the San Francisco Peaks. To present the relevant information, this
dissertation has been divided into three chapters. Chapter 1 will focus on the history of skiing
upon the San Francisco Peaks and the development of the Snowbowl Ski Resort. Chapter 1
also outlines the business case for using manmade snow, which due to litigation purposes
has been delayed for many years. Chapter 2 will focus on Native American people’s culture,
religious beliefs and current concerns for the San Francisco Peaks in relation to the
Snowbowl Resort’s development plan, as this mountain is considered sacred. Chapter 3 will
focus specifically on the scientific and possible biological effects of using manmade snow
from reclaimed water on the Peaks area based on current information. In addition to the
relevant research data, included in this dissertation, is material from 25 personal interviews
conducted on placement with local residents and prominent people. People who are either
directly involved with the expansion plans or feel very strongly about them.
Chapter 1: Background/Current Issue
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The story of skiing in Flagstaff is said to have started in the winter of 1914. When, a
very enthusiastic Norwegian skier by the name of Ole Solberg introduced skiing to the city of
Flagstaff Arizona.1 Mr Solberg had immigrated to America at the age of ten.2 Ole Solberg put
his skis to good use when his brother (who was living in California at that time), came over to
visit him. Because of heavy snow in the winter of 1914, much of the city of Flagstaff was
impassable to the local population. Using their initiative, the two Solberg brothers built their
own skis to access the local vicinity and ended up on observatory hill in the Flagstaff area.
Historically, this first local example of skiing introduced by the Solberg brothers is
recorded to be “the first time skiing” was ever participated within Flagstaff.3 Before 1914,
other winter sports were popular with local residents in Flagstaff. Jimmie Dunn who was a
later skier himself at this time recalled his memories for the period in the documentary
Echoes of the Peaks. Mr Dunn explained that ice skating was a popular activity on a
manmade pond created locally by the “Santa Fe Railway”.4 The water of the pond, Mr Dunn
recalled, was utilised by the railway company for steam locomotive engine use.5 In the
winter, when the pond subsequently froze, many local people would take advantage of the
ice and use the pond as an ice rink. As Flagstaff is located at 7,000 feet above sea level,
regular snow could be guaranteed every winter period.
Not until an unusually dry winter in 1933, according to Jane Jackson narrator for
Echoes of the Peaks, did local resident Andy Wolf open up the use of the dirt road that was
normally impassable on foot due to heavy snow and help achieve access to a road that is
now known as “highway 180”.6 Mr Wolf had taken up residency in the Flagstaff area in 1932,
and made good use of Ole Solberg’s ski example for accessing difficult terrain at times of
high snow levels. The original dust road led to the Hart Prairie Preserve, which is situated at
the base of the San Francisco Peak Mountain. The documentary reported that the forest
1 Echoes of the Peaks. Cloud Chaser Film Works, dir. Gavin Boughner, Produced by Jane Jackson, 20102 Ibid3 Ibid4 Ibid5 Ibid6 Ibid
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service allowed Ole Solberg to build a small ski run in an area called Shape Hill, part of the
San Francisco Peaks range, located at the base of the mountain which quickly became a
popular place to ski.7 Because Shape Hill was naturally treeless and the area now had an
access road, skiing quickly became popular among the local residents.
From the early 1930s period, Flagstaff became a popular choice among many people
in Arizona State, as a winter sports area. More and more people began to take advantage of
the Shape Hill facility. One man, Ed Groesbeck, who worked for the United States Forest
Service, was an avid skier. Groesbeck is reported to have personally helped popularise
skiing to become a regular winter activity in Flagstaff. On the Echoes of the Peaks
documentary, Groesbeck is called a Timber Officer, and it was he who initially questioned
why the nearby larger San Francisco Mountain was not being used.8 By 1938, the
documentary reports, a lodge was constructed on the Agassi Peak by the Civilian
Conservation Corps. The lodge was subsequently called the CCC lodge.
The Echoes of the Peaks documentary, does not give any information as to whether
the local Native tribes were consulted about their opinion on the siting of the newly
constructed lodge on the Agassi Peak. Nor does the documentary give any indication that
the CCC at the time of building the lodge considered (A), the century’s old historical
significance of the area to local tribes or (B), consulted tribes about the naming of the lodge.
The Arizona Snowbowl Company took its name from the annual carnival held each
winter (which began in 1938) on the San Francisco Mountain.9 The area then became
established as a popular winter recreational activity location. The popularity of skiing,
required the company to look at increasing and modernizing the available facilities to
accommodate the annually increasing number of visitors to the mountain. The Arizona
Snowbowl Company was established in 1946, and the name for the company was decided
by a local popular vote held at the carnival.10 In naming the company, nine different names
7 Ibid8 Ibid9 Ibid10Embassy Suites Flagstaff, ‘The Arizona Snowbowl~Flagstaff’s playground for all seasons!’, http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/hotels/hotelpromo.jhtml;jsessionid=Y4ICL2LGM3JFICSGBJBNMQQ?ctyhocn=FLGESES&promo=outdoors. (accessed 12
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were considered; however, “Dook’ o’ ooslid” was not on the list. 11 Dook’ o’ ooslid is the local
Navajo name for the San Francisco Peaks and it would appear that no other native names
were considered.
Over the subsequent years, skiing became ever more popular in Flagstaff.
Unfortunately, a huge fire in February 1952 badly damaged the CCC mountain lodge, along
with all the skiers’ equipment. Subsequently, ski enthusiasts built a new lodge (the Agassi
lodge in the mid 1950’s) initially without permission from the forest service and only applied
for planning permission after ninety per cent of the building was completed.12 The forest
service issued a permit for the first ski lift to be erected in 1962. The forest service acts on
behalf of the Agricultural Department in Washington D.C. in the use, maintenance and
activities that are allowed on the mountain range area. The erection of the first ski lift in 1962
encouraged expansion plans to be drawn up by the Snowbowl Company, which would
include a much larger car park, hotels and restaurants.
The original issue about the ski slopes among Native Americans and other
concerned residents arose out of the plans in 1969 by the Snowbowl Company for
expansion and construction of the new Agassi lodge. The 1969 expansion plans were
stopped by the courts due to lawsuits that were brought forward by Native groups who
collectively felt strongly such development would infringe on their native religious rights and
damage the environment. Since its earliest beginnings, many different companies have held
the rights to the Snowbowl business but the land in question always remained federally
owned. The 1969 legal case judgement was overturned ten years later when additional ski
lifts were allowed. The expansion plans for construction went ahead with “777 acres of land
area designated for ski use”.13 Construction went ahead, creating the Snowbowl area as it is
today.
April 2012)
11Erin Klauk, Part of the DLESE Community Services Project. Physiographic of the Navajo Nation. http://serc.carleton.edu/research_education/nativelands/navajo/physiography.html N.D. (Accessed 12 April 2012) 12 Boughner, Echoes of the Peaks. 13 Ibid
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Many organisations in Flagstaff joined forces in 2001 to express their view that
Flagstaff’s water should not be used to make snow.14 Since 2002, the legal dispute
concerning the Snowbowl Resort has been over the proposed planned use of utilizing
reclaimed water to make snow. This suggestion was proposed by Snowbowl to gain the
financial support of the banking system, which would fund the new expansion of its facilities.
Snowbowl needs to adequately prove to the banks, its snow slopes will remain open every
day of the season.
Mr J. R Murray, the Snowbowl manager, states that to build new “lodges, trails and
better facilities, Snowbowl needs to borrow money”.15 Borrowing money means using
manmade snow so the banks can see there will be regular and sustained opening times.
Therefore, guaranteeing a return on their capital through Snowbowl having more predictable
seasons.16
Howard Shanker, the legal representative for many of the native tribes, explained in
personal interview, that the original lawsuit in 2006 brought into question the infringement of
the Religious Freedom Act, because “Native Americans have no first Amendment rights
when it comes to Government controlled Land”.17 The initial case was first heard in the U.S
District Court, Shanker recalls; on the basis that the Snowbowl reclaimed water use plan
would detrimentally affect Native American people from practicing their religious ceremonies
upon the San Francisco Peaks.18 The court ruled against this concern and stated at the time
that native peoples were not detrimentally affected from practicing their religion.19 The court
also ruled, that the ski resort should remain open as it was in the “government’s compelling
interests to allow the ski company to remain open”.20
14Kyle Boggs, Storm Clouds Darken Over the San Francisco Peaks as the City Debates Water, part 1. Published Saturday, August 28th, 2010. http://www.undertheconcrete.org/2010/08/28/storm-clouds-darken-over-the-san-francisco-peaks-as-the-city-debates-water/. (Accessed 12 April 2012)15Devon O’Neil, ESPN, ACTION SPORTS, AZ snowmaking debate rages on. Published, October 21 2010. www.espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/_/post/5711568/az-snowma. Accessed 19/12/2011 16 Ibid17 Richard, Wilson. Personal Interview No 11 Howard Shanker Lawyer for Native American Tribes in Arizona. 201118 Ibid19 Ibid20 Ibid
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Howard Shanker recalled, that an appeal was heard in the 9 th Circuit Court in 2008
when the previous decision from 2006 was overturned and the court’s three-judge panel
ruled in favour of the Native Americans, that an infringement of their religious rights had
indeed occurred.21 Shanker recalled the court decision also highlighted concerns regarding
the district court’s 2006 decision for not adequately evaluating the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). That act failed to consider the impact that reclaimed water could have on
the mountain area in the future, in its study published 2004.22
The Justice Department, which was representing the forest service, appealed the
2008 9th Circuit Court decision using a petition called “en banc”.23 Mr Shanker states in the
legal profession this is something legally rarely approved, “maybe only 2% of the time”.24 En
banc is a Latin term meaning for the whole issue to be re-heard.25 The Supreme Court
rejected the plea for a formal hearing of the case in 2009. This decision by the Supreme
Court resulted in the petition application going to a lower court and in an “8 to 3 decision”;
the court voted in favour of the Justice Department and also at the same time overturned the
NEPA claim due to a technicality.26 Mr Shanker explained that many decades ago, Native
people entered a “trust obligation” in exchange for land with the United States government.27
This trust obligation meant a “parental role came into play”, something Shanker feels the
United States Government is “failing” to honour.28
The land area around and on the mountain sides has predominantly been used for
tree logging and animal grazing from the early nineteenth century. However, in the 1980’s
much damage was caused by mining of “pumice” which has a number of uses in
manufacturing.29 Andy Bessler, a field organiser for the Sierra Club, has supported native
tribes throughout many of the legal issues. He points out, that because of the mining; the
21 Ibid22 Ibid23 Ibid24 Ibid25 Ibid26 Ibid27 Ibid28 Ibid29N.A. The Pluralism Project at Harvard University. Research Report, San Francisco Peaks AZ (Navajo, Hopi, White Mtn, Apache). 2006. http://pluralism.org/reports/view/56 (Accessed 03/11/2011).
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Snowbowl current expansion plans incorporating for reclaimed water use are not the first
time the mountain area has been threatened with further manmade alteration.30
Bessler in interview quoted John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, when he said,
“only the unimaginative can fail to feel the enchantment of these mountains”.31 Bessler feels
the use of reclaimed water to enhance snow levels by the Snowbowl development company
would bring “marginal economic benefits” to the company and the Flagstaff area.32 Room for
100,000 additional skiers would be created by guaranteed daily snow use each season, but
the reclaimed water use for snow generation to enhance daily ski use would be at the cost of
infringing “the basic human rights” of “100,000 local indigenous people”.33 Bessler also
points out that the Economic Impact Statement relating to the Snowbowl development plan
details how much of the current unspoilt land will be required in order to develop further
business opportunities. The impact statement claims that “74 acres of new trails need to be
constructed” and “47 acres of tree thinning” will need to be done to create improved glades.
Additionally, Bessler reports, the impact statement calls for “87 acres of terrain improvement
grading”.34
Calculated together these changes come to a combined total of “208 acres of land
lost; and also includes for the provision of a “14 mile pipeline to feed the reused water up
onto the higher levels of the mountain to create snow.35 This will be alongside 1110 feet of
additional roads, plus the snowmaking pipelines will need to be buried within existing and
proposed trails. Three thousand six hundred and fifty feet of existing access roads need to
be reconstructed, as well as decommissioning approximately 3050 feet of existing two-track
mountain access road.36 In addition, the Snowbowl Company has argued for “fire
suppression to be placed on the mountain”.37 Bessler feels the Snowbowl included this as a
30 Richard, Wilson. Personal Interview No 6 Andy Bessler Field Organizer for the Sierra Club. 201131 Ibid32 Ibid33 Ibid34 Ibid35 Ibid36 Ibid37 Ibid
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way to help fight forest fires but also to gain support from locals, who have the threat of
losing their homes in the summer due to the intense heat.38
The main issue that concerns Mr Bessler with regards to the planned expansion
project is that the Snowbowl company seems to be a badly run organisation which will
potentially have access to Flagstaff’s future water supply. Bessler is concerned that by “2050
there could be no water left to serve the city of Flagstaff if the city’s population continues to
grow” at current trends.39 Bessler stresses that if a drought was to happen, it could be only
twenty years before Flagstaff could run out of water.40 To solve the contentious issue of
using reclaimed water in the expansion plans, it is Mr Bessler’s opinion that, the peaks area
should be put under the protection of the park service. The park service can use a “protect
the resource mandate” instead of the forest service’s mandate of multiple usages under the
Department of Agriculture regulations.41 Such a change would stop future companies and
individuals dictating what can be placed up on the mountain.42
J. R Murray, has stated that because the ski resort only resides ‘on one per cent of
the mountains terrain, anyone can see that ninety nine per cent is set aside for wilderness or
undeveloped public land and that protection is already in place’, stopping any further land
from being taken.43 The owner of the Snowbowl Company Eric Borowski, used to be a Sierra
Club member. Borowski thought the company plan to use recycled wastewater would be
environmentally friendly and therefore popular.44 Mr Borowski claims that the Snowbowl
Company could go out of business if manmade snow cannot be used, due to the erratic
precipitation of snowfall in Northern Arizona. Some weeks, ‘closed ski slope days occur due
to insignificant fresh snowfall’.45 Mr Borowski goes onto say that no business can stay open
38N.A. 535 F. 3d 1058 (2008). Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service. Argued and Submitted December 11, 2007. Filed August 8, 2008. http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?q=%22535+F.3d+1058%22&hl=en&as_sdt=2003&case=11875117975930999049. Pp3. (Accessed January 15th 2012).39 Wilson, Personal Interview No 640 Ibid41 Ibid42 Ibid43 Cindy Yurth, Snowbowl manager slams Sierra Club. Navajo Times.11th October 2007. Accessed in Northern Arizona University’s Archive Centre. (No page number available as taken from photo copy).44 Wilson, Personal Interview No 645 Randal C. Archibold, Commerce and Religion Collide on a Mountainside. The New York Times, 23rd October. 2005, P. 16
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and remain profitable ‘if you miss 98.5 per cent’ of the company’s potential income.46
Flagstaff’s normal precipitation averages about twenty-two inches per year, ‘within a range of
nine to thirty nine inches’.47 Snowfall regularly falls each season, averaging 97 inches a year
and research shows that global warming temperatures in Flagstaff will increase in addition to
periods of droughts, which could be more severe and reoccur more often.48 Mr Murray
claims that December holidays is where the Snowbowl resort gains ‘25 per cent’ of its
income, and that to be a sustainable business a further two thousand skiers are needed per
day to make sure there is steady work for the local people and sustainable profit for the
business.49
The proposed computerised equipment the Snowbowl company plans to use, will
“put down two foot of snow and maintain the snow level at two foot”, as it uses weather
monitoring equipment.50 The problem is thus; as the snowfall is unpredictable, the company
cannot guarantee the machines will have adequate supply of water to use each month
hence the company’s proposal to use reclaimed water for snow use.51 Winter precipitation
has been below average for eleven years in the years 1996 to 2007. The only exception to
this was the winter of 2005, which recorded the third wettest year, taken from a fifty-seven
year record.52
Mr Kyle Boggs a local newspaper editor for the Noise, explained in personal
interview that if “Snowbowl uses reclaimed snow” then it will be the only ski resort in the
world to use “one hundred per cent reclaimed water”.53 Mr Boggs went on to say that he felt
any reconciliation between the two groups is unlikely to happen now, but the earlier issue
back in the 1930’s (when skiing first began) could have been solved if agreed permission to
46 Ibid 47 Paul Gremillion Ph.D., P.E. written for Portable Engineering Solutions, Capstone Design Capstone CENE 486c - Spring 2006 Portable Water Treatment System Final. April, 25th 2006. http://www.cefns.nau.edu/Research/D4P/EGR486/EnvE/05-Projects/PortableTreatment/Final%20Paper.pdf. P. 3. (Accessed December 3rd 2011) 48 Ibid49Stacey Wittig, Next Steps for Construction at Arizona Snowbowl. Flagstaff Business News, http://www.flagstaffbusinessnews.com/next-steps-for-construction-at-arizona-snowbowl/ (Accessed February 14th 2012) 50 Ibid51 Richard Hereford, Scientist Emeritus U.S. Geological Survey Flagstaff. Climate History of Flagstaff, Arizona - 1950 to 2007. Floods, Droughts, and Long-Term Warming. Published 2007, http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/files/flagstaff_climate_history.pdf. (Accessed December 3rd 2011) 52 Ibid. 53 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 12 Kyle Boggs Instructor at NAU and also editor of free newspaper, The Noise. 2011
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use the mountain’s slope for recreational skiing was given by all parties. Mr Boggs put the
blame for the current controversy on the forest service and explained that the forest service
could end the local issue anytime by simply revoking the special use permit they give to the
Snowbowl each year.54 Mr Boggs also questioned the need for reclaimed snow when,
despite Northern Arizona experiencing one of the driest years on record in January 2010,
Snowbowl resort still recorded more skiers than ever before.55
The population of Flagstaff more than doubled in what Paul Gremillion refers to as
the ‘late twentieth century wet episode’.56 The population grew from ‘26,000 in 1970 to
53,000 in 2000’.57 This wet episode being in Mr Gremillions evaluation as non-typical for
Flagstaff’s average precipitation, suggests for future “planning and modelling purposes”
would overestimate groundwater recharge.58 This data suggests that the replanting of
woodland areas was successful in previous periods probably due to higher precipitation
levels. The same replanting results may be much harder to achieve in the dryer climate of
2011/12.59 If the planned expansion of Snowbowl takes place and replanting of remodelled
areas is required.
Despite the climatic difficulties, the Snowbowl resort has been successful and many
people visit annually. For many years, Flagstaff has seen its commercial and recreational
trade coming from East to West along the famous Route 66 which traditionally has been
utilized by many travellers due to the roads easy access to the West coast. Flagstaff’s visitor
numbers have also benefitted by the railroad allowing many people to stop and visit on their
journey to the west coast. In recent years, Flagstaff’s popularity has heavily relied upon its
geographical position with the much larger Arizona city of Phoenix. This position relies, on
Phoenix residents traveling south to north, which generally takes around two hours by road
to reach Flagstaff.
54 Ibid 55 Ibid56 Gremillion, Capstone Design Capstone CENE 486c - Spring 2006 Portable Water Treatment System Final, p. 3.57 Ibid58 Ibid59 Ibid
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Gary Vallen Hospitality Consultants made a winter visitor’s study guide in 2008-2009,
on behalf of the Flagstaff Convention and Visitor Bureau. This study guide was conducted to
determine what activities attracted visitors to Flagstaff. Of the 300 visitors surveyed, ‘snow
play’ attracted 78%, but only ‘46’% of visitors planned to stay overnight or longer.60 The
majority of non-local visitors came from the Phoenix area.
The survey findings prove that the Snowbowl Resort is an extremely important
attraction for Flagstaff’s economic and commercial wellbeing. Most of the visitors who
accessed the Snowbowl facilities gave a rating of excellent to very good, a wider range of
accommodation choices and greatly improved snow play facilities could improve the ‘46%’
overnight total average and therefore potentially increase the local spend totals from present
levels to the benefit of the Flagstaff area economy.61
In a personal interview, Lynda Fleischer co-owner of the Bar and Grill restaurant, and
who was also a marketing director for the Snowbowl for ten years, feels the Snowbowl
attraction contributes significantly to the success of her own business.62 Fleischer explained
that “her cliental do not come in her establishment when the slopes are closed”, this is
because seventy five per cent of her cliental are skiers and snowboarders”.63 Mrs Fleischer
felt that local businesses were heavily dependent on the ski resort keeping the snow slopes
open.
Jeremiah Caughy, a ski rental shop co-owner, explained a similar view to that of Mrs
Fleischer, that he had decided to open up a business in Flagstaff “knowing the artificial
manmade process for making snow had been proposed” for local use.64 Mr Caughy says if
this proposal goes ahead, it means guaranteed money can be made due to a longer ski
season from “November 4th to April 15th”.65 This in turn would allow him to hire twenty extra
people to work and also make the company grow. Mr Caughy went on to say, that if the
60 Gary Vallen, Hospitality Consultants. Winter Visitor Study 2008-2009; The Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Summary. Published 2008-2009. 61 Ibid62 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 14 Lynda Fleischer Co-Owner of the Bar and Grill Restaurant, in Flagstaff. 2011 63 Ibid64 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 2 Jeremiah Caughy, Ski Shop Manager. 201165 Ibid
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“Snowbowl is closed then we are closed”, and admitted that business is low if there is no
snow.66
Many such businesses in Flagstaff appear to be in a similar dependant position with
the Snowbowl resort when the business is based on snow and the snow slopes. Another
business argument comes from Sean McMahan, owner of the “World Famous Monti Vista
Hotel”.67 Mr McMahan in personal interview stated, the “Snowbowl resort is so expensive
and petrol is so expensive”, the majority of Snowbowl visitors arrive for the day only and then
travel home at night”.68 Mr McMahan’s opinion is that many guests of the Monti Vista cannot
afford to stay at the hotel plus ski on the slopes.69 The Monti Vista has been in business for
“eighty four years” a lot longer than Snowbowl.70 The hotel contributes to the Snowbowl
through the taxes it pays to the city of Flagstaff. However, the ski resort fails to “return the
favour” as the tax the Snowbowl pays goes to the State of Arizona.71 Assistant manager of
the Monti Vista hotel Mark Greenwall, in personal interview, compared the tax situation to
that of the “Wal-Mart argument”, of how Wal-mart contributes to a local city or town by
“employing local staff, but then pays its generated tax revenue nationally” not helping the
city.72 It was a similar issue for Mary Denoon, who owns the Thunder Mountain Trading
shop, dealing in Native American and cowboy style art. On interview she explained
personally there is only “five or so shops like hers in the city” of Flagstaff and that she did not
see an increase in customers when the Snowbowl was open.73 These quoted individuals are
a small representation of the much bigger organisation called Flagstaff Forty. Flagstaff Forty
is a citywide group of local businesses, which are supportive of Flagstaff development but
are balanced in their opinion over the Snowbowl issue.74
66 Ibid (Mrs Fleischer also added that she earns a second income by training young people to ski at the Snowbowl). Personal Interview No 14 Lynda Fleischer. 67 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 25 Sean McMahan Manager and Mark Greenwall Assistant Manager of the Monti Vista Hotel. 201168 Ibid69 Ibid70 Ibid71 Ibid 72 Ibid 73 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 20 Mary Denoon Owner of the Thunder Mountain Traders shop, in Flagstaff. 201174 N.A. Leadership for Action, Flagstaff Forty, http://www.flagstaffforty.org/recent.php?e=snowbowl (Accessed April 12th 2012)
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Kevin Burke, Flagstaff city manager, explained that the “city entered into a contract
roughly in 2003 with the Snowbowl company for the purposes of snowmaking”.75 The
contracts length is 20 years but the city has yet to deliver any reclaimed water for snow.76
The failure to deliver reclaimed water is because the city reclaimed water concept has been
embroiled in litigation since 2003. The Snowbowl resort reclaimed water plans allow for
access to water from within the city limits utilising Flagstaff’s reclaimed water volume
reserves which the company has agreed permits to access. In addition, the company also
possesses the Environmental Impact Statement which allows for waste water to travel
through private land, forest service land and other areas to the base of the mountain.77 The
water-reclaimed plan, allows water pumps to be located at strategic points to elevate the
water from 7000 to 9500 feet to keep a high altitude reservoir full with adequate amounts of
wastewater for snow making when required.78 The total water amount promised by the
agreed contract is a maximum of about 550 acre feet of water if the full agreed amount was
used over 5 months.79 Such use is unlikely said Mr Burke but it gives individuals an idea of
the size and volume of water that would be available.80 The contract itself is a reported “done
deal”, and any legal termination would result in court consequences.81
Two additional water resource areas for the city are the Colorado River and the
Coconino Aqua fare. There is also possibly a third additional water resource in the 5,000
acre ranch, Red Gap, which the city owns and contains good quality water located under the
surface area.82 The city of Flagstaff wanted to use this area and water, however, the Hopi
Indian tribe also have claim to Red Gap.83 In order for the water to be utilised by the city of
Flagstaff, the water would have had to pass through Hopi land. The Hopi reject the idea of
any water passing through their land that is to be used for making reclaimed snow.
75 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 24 Kevin Burke Flagstaff City Manager. 201176 Ibid 77 Ibid 78 Ibid79 Ibid80 Ibid 81 Ibid 82 Ibid83 Ibid
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Mr Burke said that the Snowbowl does bring in tax revenue to the city of Flagstaff,
and that over 150,000 people in difficult economic times visited Snowbowl in 2010-2011 and
that the previous year the figure was 250,000 people.84 There is no future mayor or current
mayor who can remove the contract as it is binding from 2002 to 2022, and as the forest
service along with the Snowbowl Resort are in the county, it’s the county that regulates it,
the city of Flagstaff becomes secondary to these other entities.85 The Courts (in 2012) have
now sided with the Snowbowl to allow snow making to go ahead, even claiming that those
who oppose snow making “to be grossly abusing the judicial system” due to their constant
appealing of the case, this means snowmaking can go ahead in November 2012.86
84 Ibid 85 Ibid86Stephanie Snyder, Federal court rejects challenge to Arizona Snowbowl’s mountain snow-making plan. http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2012/02/federal-court-rejects-challenge-to-arizona-snowbowls-plan-for-mountain-snowmaking/ (Accessed 14th February 2012)
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Chapter 2: Religion/Culture.
The word sacred is used by Native tribes often when describing the San Francisco
Peaks. However, few western cultured people use sacred and even less people outside of
the Native North American culture would have heard any of the mountains indigenous name
translations.
Dion Benn, a Native American Navajo who lives on the Navajo Reservation close to
the city of Flagstaff, agreed in personal interview, to discuss the story of why his people see
this area as sacred. Benn stated, that during the 1860s, the United States Government
forcibly moved many Native people from their traditional homeland. This action would
become known to his people, as the “Long Walk”.87
Benn understands, that it is written historical knowledge, Native American people
were actually shot and killed even before the 300 mile journey to Fort Sumner, the final
destination had been reached.88 This appalling act committed by the army was on the orders
of the then government, based on some people being too old, weak or pregnant. Many
others were even taken as “slaves by other tribes due to their weakened states”.89
Benn stated, many tribal elders did eventually travel the great distance to
Washington D.C, to secure the return of the tribe members to their original homeland. Some
people did not make the journey, because of the ordeal in traveling. But Mr Benn also
explained that many Navajo at this time, also hid and sort refuge in the Grand Canyon area
87 Richard Wilson. Personal Interview No 8. Dion Benn Native American Resident on the Reservation of the Navajo Nation. 2011 88 Ibid89 Ibid
17
and the Navajo Mountain north east of the San Francisco Peaks.90 Those Natives, who sort
refuge, helped those tribe members who returned eventually to the area with food and
water.91
The book the Long Walk, speaks of the turmoil and difficulty of the trip but not in
great detail of those people who survived living in the local surroundings. This fact, may
explain why outsiders fail to see the area’s significance to indigenous people. The Long
Walk book does recall the long journey home, which took several months to complete and
the appreciation the Navajo people had for ‘Tso dzilh’ (Mount Taylor) when they could finally
see the mountain.92 This local land the Navajo people feel was given to them by the ‘Holy
People, land they cherish within their sacred mountains’.93
Now back on their sacred land in the year 1868, the Native Americans who did not
succumb to slavery or death and managed to resist capture. Helped the new arrivals to plant
“corn using seeds which built their strength” and at the same time, gave instructions “to live
in balance and harmony, to fulfil their duties to the land and to their Holy People”.94 To Native
American Navajo, this is one of the reasons the area has its power.
The herbs that where collected by the survivors were and still are used in ceremonies
considered very important by the Navajo community. These ceremonies show the extent of
their culture and how the Native society operates herbal practices.
Another example of how important these ceremonies are to the Navajo community, is
provided during (the actor/comedian) Billy Connolly’s televised road trip Route 66.
Unfortunately, whilst filming, Mr Connolly had an accident and came off his motorbike. In
doing so, he injured himself and damaged his bike. When Mr Connolly went to see a local
Navajo practitioner, it was not just his physical injury that needed healing, but that of the
area in which the incident had taken place. “Cooling the earth where Mr Connolly had landed
90 Ibid91 Ibid92 Raymond Bial, The Long Walk: The Story of Navajo Captivity, Chapter Seven Long Journey Home. (Published by Benchmark Books New York). 2002 P. 7493 Ibid94 Wilson, Personal Interview No 8
18
bringing peace to the earth and resettling the balance back before the crash had occurred”
are considered very important to Native thinking.95
This latter example, gives evidence to Mr Benn’s story that his people keep the belief
of having balance with Mother Nature and the Earth. He feels strongly, that the use of
reclaimed water on the San Francisco Peaks would cause imbalance to nature to say the
least, and the herbs, which Natives use and value, may lose their potency. The mood among
many Navajo is that the way plants grow may be different from in previous times.
Mr Benn went on to say that “everything the Navajo know is under attack, and his
faith and trueness are what keeps him going.96 He firmly denies outside opinion, that these
areas are not the original Holy mountains from centuries ago, that his people originated
from. Instead, Mr Benn and others will continue the fight so that his ancestors over
thousands of years “did not die with heart ache”.97
Helen Lau Running, who has participated in many Native American ceremonies and
is an assistant editor for the Hopi Observer explained more information about the Peaks
themselves. She says, the San Francisco Peaks are one of four sacred mountains and the
western most mountain out of the four is believed to contain “a female entity presence”.98
Mrs Running says, the Navajo consider the female entity to be the “mother”.99 Many
thousands of years ago, the peaks exploded, the top blew off and lava flowed down the
eastern side of the mountain”.100 It is now considered by volcanologists to be a dormant
volcano and the lava that flowed out was considered the mountains blood by the Navajo at
the time.101
95 Billy Connolly with Robert Uhlig, Route 66, The Big Yin on the Ultimate American Road Trip. Chapter 12 Flagstaff, Arizona, Don’t Forget Winoa. Sphere Publishers Great Britain. 2011. P. 252 96 Wilson, Personal Interview No 897 Ibid98 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 23 Helen Lau Running Author, grant writer consultant and the assistant editor of the Navajo-Hopi Observer newspaper. 2010 99 Ibid100 Ibid101 Ibid
19
Mrs Running went on to say, that it is not hard to see why many Native Americans
consider the mountain to be sacred after it has offered so much protection from enemies and
nature.102 She explained another issue in history which had disastrous consequences when
ecological decisions where not taken into account. Mrs Running said the example was the
“Aswan Dam, when the Nile was dammed, the river was on the throws of death”.103 This act
of man, led to many illnesses and disease such as “Schistosomiasis”, a parasitic disease,
caused by several species of flatworms (genus Schist soma) which can infect both humans
and domestic livestock.104 Mrs Running feels strongly, a similar problem could arise in the
peaks and could cause long-term health effects if wastewater is used for snowmaking.
In another interview for this project, Klee Benally, the Navajo film director kindly
agreed to give his opinions and feelings on the planned use of reclaimed water on the San
Francisco Peaks. Mr Benally explained how the mountain to the Navajo is “one of six holy
mountains which hold up our universe”.105 He also stated, the peaks is one of “four cardinal
mountains which are pillars of our universe”, and that the Navajo people need to collect
herbs and say prayers and give offerings on the mountain.106 Which cannot be done
“anywhere else”.107 Mr Benally also explained there are teachings associated with this
mountain and the other mountains, relating to the existence of deities and gods that are of
great importance to many Native tribes.108 He also claimed, one of the major events that take
place upon the San Francisco Peaks is the “blessing ceremony, which is the foundation of
Navajo spiritual practice”.109 Mr Benally went on to say, that the Navajo do not have
separation between religion and their cultural identity. A bundle of soil collected from the
mountain is a direct connection between the people and the mountain.110
102 Ibid103 Ibid104 Shadab Hussain Ahmed and Burke A Cunha, Schistosomiasis, http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/228392-overview (Accessed 12 April 2012) 105Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 1, Klee Benally, Native American Film Maker and Activist. 2011 106 Ibid107 Ibid108 Ibid109 Ibid110 Ibid
20
Mr Benally, has personally expressed his strong opposition to the planned use of
reclaimed water through his documentary ‘”the Snowbowl Effect”.111 Mr Bennally said on
interview, that originally he never intended to make a documentary, instead he just wanted to
document what different groups and individuals were saying at public meetings about
“reclaimed water” use.112 However, he felt personally the media locally were “biased” in their
reporting and were deliberately leaving out any information that suggested the water for
example, was not suitable to drink.113 Subsequently, to ensure the facts were told, the
documentary the Snowbowl Effect was made.114
Mr Benally’s comment about “a bundle of soil”, suggests any issues with the soil,
such as if the soil is contaminated for example, the Navajo lives could be to.115 Ironically, the
U.S.A protects Plymouth Rock on the east coast with a monument to ensure no future
contamination takes place, but the same cannot be said of the peaks.116 The treaty of “1868
says that Navajo land cannot be sold, taken away or given away without act of Congress”,
conveniently the area in question is on Federal Land.117 Land the Navajo feel strongly is
being lost along with the water, which is naturally located there. Navajo people feel water is
“worth more than any other mineral wealth”, if the water is not protected, (Many Mules
Granddaughter once said on another water related issue in the area), then the Navajo tribe
may not survive.118
Other Native groups have their own view on how the San Francisco Peaks mountain
is sacred such as the Hopi. Lomayumtewa C. Ishii is a Professor at Northern Arizona
University and a Hopi member. Mr Ishii explained that, “the Peaks play a significant role in
our success”.119 Many in the Hopi group are concerned about the proposals due to their own
111 Ibid112 Ibid113 Ibid114 Ibid115 Ibid116N.A. Explorers and Settlers, Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/explorers/sitee15.htm (Accessed 12 April 2012) 117 Arthur Claudeen, Between Sacred Mountains: Navajo Stories and Lessons from the Land. Chapter Modern Times, Water. Sun Tracks and the University Of Arizona Press, 1984 p. 236118 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 13 Lomayumtewa C. Ishii Professor of Political Science at NAU. 2011119 Ibid
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unique view on the mountain, for example the Hopi origin stories or instructions Hopi receive
that play an important role in the “ceremonial cycle”, meaning clearly, if one part is affected
then in future all would be.120
Mr Ishii explained supernatural deities figure highly in ceremonial activities, parts of
the year they dwell on the peaks, other times they are in the villages. Mr Ishii says the
“Kachinas”, are the name for the Hopi’s deities; prayers and offerings are made which in
return the Hopi feel brings snow down naturally.121 The snow melts into water to help crops
grow, something which has been done for hundreds if not thousands of years through Hopi
farming tradition. Despite the history of Native tradition, the U.S Government fails to see the
significance, as there is not a clear visible sign of sacredness Western society is use to, for
example a cross.122
Mr Ishii went onto say, that when mankind “affect the efficacy of the Peaks, that
efficacy is based in the community, psychological effects may be a future issue as “we are
told to pray from our heads and our hearts”.123 What affects the Peaks being desecrated will
have on Native people are still being debated by Hopi elders.124
It has been detailed that there is a “complexity to the Native American mind, thinking
is a way of seeing, something they describe as natural law guiding them”.125 There is written
evidence suggesting, that a major “cause of drug and alcohol abuse” amongst Native
Americans is due to the loss of identity from their land or culture which has been taken away
and later replaced by a more dominant western model.126 So this loss of land/culture
regarding the Peaks could be a future problematic issue for the city of Flagstaff, if the Peaks
are desecrated in the eyes of Native Americans.127
120 Ibid121 Ibid122N.A. 535 F. 3d 1058 (2008). Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service. http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?q=%22535+F.3d+1058%22&hl=en&as_sdt=2003&case=11875117975930999049 (Accessed January 15th 2012). P. 30123 Wilson, , Personal Interview No 13 Lomayumtewa C. Ishii124 Ibid125 Marianne O. Nielson and Robert A. Silverman, Criminal Justice in Native America, Chapter 7 Ed. Linda Robyn Native Americans and Uranium Mining as State-Corporate Crime. The University of Arizona Press Tucson, 2009, P. 101 126Scott C. Carvajal and Robert S. Young, Culturally Based Substance Abuse Treatment for American Indians/Alaska Natives and Latinos. University of Arizona, N. D. P. 211127 Ibid
22
Marina M. Vasquez, who works at Northern Arizona University in the Indigenous
Studies Department (and who personally is a Mayan Elder), explains in more detail about
the religious implications of using reclaimed water. Mrs Vasquez explained that if it was to be
used “certain plants may no longer be able to be used in ceremonies”.128 This Mrs Vasquez
knows well from personal experience in her own country of Guatemala. In a similar issue of
wastewater use, “plants had damaged roots and plants were unable to grow correctly”.129
The whole area in question, Mrs Vasquez adds, “left plants unable to regrow and
caused erosions of so many species”.130 She says, the Hopi watch the Kachinas (Gods)
come down to the village and the local Hopi will throw food for the gods. The Hopi for the
benefit of future generations take great care of the land and this is something western
people’s culture fails to see.131
Court hearings have written testimony from some Native American people, who
state and apparently believe, the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City are in direct
coalition with the disrespect being shown to the San Francisco Peaks.132 This strong feeling,
shows the Native peoples beliefs of how important the Peaks area is to them. Despite such
strong feelings from Native Americans about the peaks, the only legal reference that states a
“detrimental infringement” may have occurred is under the title “emotional religious
experience”, which refers to the building of the proposed pipeline and ski extension.133
“Under Supreme Court precedent” the diminishment of anything that is considered a
spiritual fulfilment, serious as it may be, is considered to not be a “substantial burden on the
free exercise of religion”.134 The Religious Freedom Restoration Act “defines exercise of
religion as any exercise of religion whether or not compelled by, or central to, a system of
religious beliefs”.135 The Supreme Court had heard in Lyng v Northwest Indian Cemetery
128 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 18 Marina M Vasquez Professor at NAU in the Indigenous Studies Department, also a Mayan Elder. 2011 129 Ibid 130 Ibid131 Ibid132N.A. 535 F. 3d 1058 (2008). Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service. http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?q=%22535+F.3d+1058%22&hl=en&as_sdt=2003&case=11875117975930999049 (Accessed January 15th 2012).133 Ibid 134 Ibid135 Ibid
23
Protective in 1988 that Native cemetery land was considered religious and the court
favoured the Natives because road building and logging was considered “devastating” to
religious beliefs.136
The Native American religious perspective in the Snowbowl issue is not recognised
by the present day courts, unlike the previous court’s ruling in 1988. The legal case in 2008,
which saw the overturning of the decision to allow fake snow to be used. The courts went on
record to say that the Native groups “cannot dictate the decisions that the Government
makes, what is after all the Government’s land”, but of course, the Government can dictate
to tribes without any hindrance on itself.137
Other tribes such as the Hualapai have testified in court, of their own creation story
taking place on the mountain. The Havasupai share a cultural belief that the world was flat
“marked in the centre by the San Francisco Peaks”.138 Many other tribes have directly
compared their mountain tales in court similar to the “pilgrimage for Muslims to Mecca”.139
Many writers in various published mediums have compared the peaks issue
for Native tribes to that of other religious groups problems, quotes have been said, such as it
would be like ‘flushing a Quran down the toilet’, but it is believed no one has ever
documented directly any similarity, until now.140
Speaking with Abdul Hadi Dashti an Islamic priest, the question was asked, “what
would Islamic people do if Mecca was to have reclaimed water poured over it?141 Mr Dashti
replied “people would go furious”.142 “Mecca is sacred to Islamic people”, he further added
that western influenced people fail to see that sacred places cannot be touched.143 Mr Dashti
in answering the claim of no visible religious artefacts on the peaks, states it is always an
136 Ibid137 Ibid138 Ibid139 Ibid140 Wilson, Personal Interview No 12 Kyle Boggs 141 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 3 Abdul Hadi Dashti, Islamic Priest. 2011142 Ibid 143 Ibid
24
“internal feeling”.144 Mr Dashti explained that in his opinion, there are similarities between the
San Francisco Peaks and Mecca he says, “sacred sites like this are like a living person”.145
Mr Dashti says, Islamic people would have no difficulty in recognising and
acknowledging Native sovereignty over the mountain range. As Islamic teaching clearly
states, “knock first before entering”, he adds, “we cannot enter someone’s house, their home
without the owner’s permission”, something which the U.S Government failed to do when
proposing the mountain ski lodge development.146 Mr Dashti’s, final comments reflected the
current Western mood of superiority when dealing with smaller minority groups, “Natives
have their politics and we have ours; just because we are bigger than them does not mean
we can just override them”.147
Muslims hold water very highly as their religion is born out of a desert. As mentioned
in the Quran, “do the unbelievers not realize that the Heavens and Earth were sewn
together, but we ripped apart, and from water created every living thing”.148 The Quran also
explains that “blessed water” has been sent down from the sky to grow gardens, and that
“with it we have revived dead countryside”, the Native Americans who survived the Long
Walk may also share this quote.149
Rabbi Nina Pearlmutter answered some relevant questions by email on behalf of the
Jewish faith. Mrs Pearlmutter said the Jewish faith could relate strongly with the Native
cause over the Peaks issue and she knew this to be so. This is because she had personally
worked closely on this topic with Native groups. “Water is precious and a divine gift, she
said.150 Water is valued on its own and as a metaphor for our most sacred Jewish
teachings”.151 Mrs Pearlmutter added, similar to the ceremonies of Native Americans, Jews
144 Ibid145 Ibid146 Ibid147 Ibid148 N. A. The Qur’an, Chapter 21 the Prophets, Translated with an Introduction by Tarif Khalidi. Penguin Books. Published UK, USA 2009 P. 259149 Ibid, Chapter 8 the Booty, P. 139150 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 21 Rabbi Nina PearlMutter, 2011151 Ibid
25
do have “numerous sacred ceremonies involving water”, some using the “Mikveh” to help
purify the body.152
As mentioned by Howard Shanker (Native legal Representative), from his clients
personal testimonies to the courts. People would literally bathe in the snow, for their own
ceremonies.153 Jews similarly pray for “rain and will recite the Shema daily, to ensure the
rains can come”.154 As stated in the Old Testament, “that I will give you the rain of your land
in due season the first rain and the latter rain”.155 This explaining clearly the importance of
crop growing and the need for water. The Old Testament also states, “gather in thy corn, and
wine thine oil”.156 The Navajo also pick Corn, perhaps indicating that all religions have a
similar history and culture to basic human substance. Unfortunately for the Native American
tribes, their historical beliefs are not written down, known and openly discussed outside of
the tribe groupings.
Speaking with Father Mathew Lowry from a local Catholic church in Flagstaff, Father
Lowry did not have a personal view on the Peaks issue itself. However, he did have an
opinion on how the world should be seen and what Catholicism feels is our duty to the
planet. He states, “Christianity sees in creation a reflection of the beauty of our creator,
nature is a gift in which humans have been entrusted to be good stewards of”.157 Father
Lowry went on to say, that the mountain is not a living thing and Catholicism could not see
the mountain as alive, but “living things do live upon it”.158 The plants that grow up there, the
animals that live there “should be respected and protected” and as good stewards we are
the crown of creation and these areas are for our benefit.159 Father Lowry’s final comments
were, that the Catholic church supports Native American rights to keep the mountain sacred
to them and that the “freedom of one person trampled on is the freedom of everyone”.160
152 Ibid153 Wilson, Personal Interview No 11154 Wilson, Personal Interview No 21155 N.A. Holy Bible King James Version, Deuteronomy Chapter 11 Verse 14. Collins Publishers. N.D 156 Ibid 157 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 7 Father Mathew Lowry, Priest Chaplin at Holy Trinity Catholic Newman Centre. 2011158 Ibid159 Ibid160 Ibid
26
Native people see life in such a different way to many other civilizations, especially in
the West and western culture. The current situation “hinges on the difficulty the Native
Americans have on explaining their religions and traditions” to the courts and the forest
service.161 As to why the land is so intrinsically connected to them and to why all people
should have equal rights upon it. This on-going difficulty, was echoed many years before by
Native Chief Joseph Nez Perce, when he said, “all men were made by the same Great Spirit
Chief”, they are all brothers, the “earth is the mother of all people” and everyone should have
rights upon it.162
The Natives have used herbs and even the organs of animals to help them with their
healing powers. Many Native people were on first name terms with “spices, herbs and
plants”, believing inner qualities of the body should be treated with the up most respect to
enhance their health, as the creator had wanted.163 Natives and Nature intertwine even to
the point where a single thought could lead to harmful consequences. Not much different to
early puritan life where bad thoughts from an individual were felt could lead to vengeance by
God.164
Speaking with Andrew Sarracino, (who works in Northern Arizona University’s Native
American student services department) and helps prepare future Natives Americans into
higher education; provided valuable insight into the issues younger Native people have and
the difficulties they experience in relating to modern western society. The reason for asking
the Native youth about what they feel and think is because, one feels, that there could be
future discord with the Native youth of today as they may lose interest or knowledge of past
traditional and Native events. Mr Sarracino explained, “in order to be heard in his Navajo
tribe”, a young person must be allowed to be by his elders, their decision holds sway over
other younger members and other major issues may take precedence over another,
161 N.A. The Pluralism Project at Harvard University. P. 3162 Kent Nerburn, Louise Mengelkoch. Native American Wisdom. The Classic Wisdom Collection New World Library Novato, California, 1991, P. 28163 Shimer Porter, Healing Secrets of the Native Americans. Herbs, Remedies and Practices that Restore the Mind and Rebuild the Spirit. (New York Black Dog & Lenventhal, 1999) P. 8164Kay Kizer, Puritans, http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/puritans.html (Accessed 12 April 2012)
27
meaning if in the future larger issues take place then this important issue could be
forgotten.165
Mr Sarracino went on to explain, that corn pollen was picked as part of Native
tradition, and that the Navajo Nation “is one of the largest tribes in America and this issue
has caused problems with sovereignty” as the land in question is separate from the U.S.A. in
Natives eyes.166 The issue for the Navajo is using “dirty water” on our sacred mountains.167
The Snowbowl is devastating our sacred lands just by being there. Using dirty water on our
plants we use for ceremonial use is unacceptable to the Navajo. Mr Sarracino said, there
was “great anger amongst the Navajo” about Snowbowl’s wastewater plans.168
In earlier recorded times, Celtic people living in Europe apparently where illiterate,
but the Celts had a “powerful oral tradition of storytelling and poetry”.169 Celtic people even
felt “oak trees and mistletoe were thought to be sacred”.170 How very similar this culture and
belief system of the Celts appears to be to Native American people and how ironic that many
Celtic people would later become European and then American when they originally
emigrated.171 Unfortunately this belief system has been lost by Americans in large part. If this
had not happened one can only speculate if situations like the Peaks issue would ever
occur?
Western people may have forgotten the earlier traditions and beliefs of their
forbearers, but in Native life, they are still very apparent. A Navajo Indian called George
Blue-eyes explained the importance of Dook’ o’ oosliid in Navajo culture, “at noon the sun
tells us, it’s time to eat, and in the evening when the sun sets, darkness tells us to rest, sleep
my grandchildren”.172 This comment helps explain how Navajo people have regulated their
165 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 5 Andrew Sarracino Navajo Resident Works with Young Native Americans at NAU. 2011 166 Ibid 167 Ibid168 Ibid169 Adam Hart-Davis editorial consultant. History the Definitive Visual Guide, From the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day, Chapter 3 Celtic Warriors Dr Richard Lim. (2007 Dorling Kindersley Limited) P. 134170 Ibid171 Ibid172 Claudeen, Between Sacred Mountains: Navajo Stories and Lessons from the Land. P. 2
28
lives “since the beginning”.173 Mr Blue-eyes comment, adds clarity, to how important the San
Francisco Peaks are to the Navajo tribe and how the mountain guides their life and has done
for centuries.174 Mr Blue-eyes went on to say, that because of the prayer bundle which has
soil taken from the peaks, something the Navajo call “dah nidiilyeeh” they are able to gain
“sheep, horses and cattle” in return because this is where their prayers begin from.175
The Snowbowl Company and forest service have claimed to date, that they have
held over “41 meetings and exchanged 245 letters with the tribes” and found nothing
“environmentally egregious” about using reclaimed water.176
Nora B. Rasure of the Coconino National forest stated, these reforms are needed for
the business to stay viable, and that “none of the tribes perform ceremonies or maintain
shrines within the resort”.177 Part of the difficulty religiously is that Native people are reluctant
to speak to outsiders about their ways. Bill Bucky Preston, who is a spiritual leader for the
Hopi, “refused to describe in detail (in court) what practices he would no longer be able to do
or how the mountain figures in Hopi lore” to his own lawyer.178
Mr Ishii pointed out in his personal address to Nora Rasure (who is the person who
made the decision to go ahead with the snowmaking application), that the year (1492)
represents the “beginning of American history, but to indigenous people it is a total disregard
for centuries of existence.179 He goes on to say that for indigenous groups, this is not just
about religion but “their future”.180 Due to Native life being untouched by western life for
many centuries, the “practicalities of life are now known as traditional knowledge” and for
many tribes the Peaks represent much more than religion.181
173 Ibid174 Ibid175 Ibid176 Archibold, Commerce and Religion Collide on a Mountainside. P. 16177 Ibid178 Ibid179Lomayumtewa C. Ishii Ph D, The San Francisco Peaks: A Matter of Perspectives and Truths. (Northern Arizona University: N.D.) P. 1 180 Ibid, P. 2181 Ibid, P. 3
29
Peter Friederici (Professor of Journalism at NAU) stated in interview because Natives
consider the Peaks as being so sacred, Snowbowl and the forest service cannot start “slicing
and dicing” bits of it off.182 The tribes see the whole Peaks area as being sacred.
The idea that only “one per cent of the mountain will be used”, directly reflects the
two ideologies represented here as Native people’s histories are being increasingly
separated from their lands and livelihood, and Western society cannot see the
“interconnectedness of history and life”.183 Doublehead Creek Chief once explained this
Native way of thinking by saying “we are afraid if we part with any more of our lands the
white people will not let us keep as much as will be sufficient to bury our dead”184. This latter
point, surely shows how the idea of just one per cent being used denies the idea “everything
is connected”.185 If this way of thinking is continued Mr Ishhi explains, then this could be
disastrous and have implications for indigenous people everywhere due to the feelings
indigenous people believe in. This is that they are the caretakers of this land, just as Father
Lowry insisted we all should be.
Chapter 3: Science.
The city of Flagstaff will provide 1.5million gallons of treated sewage effluent, which
after processing is referred to as reclaimed water. Reclaimed water that is minus the solids,
scum, odours and sludge content. Water that has been processed through an initial,
secondary and then tertiary filtration system, which includes the use of a two stage anoxic,
aerobic and organic biological Fila-mentation gravity-feed process utilised by Flagstaff’s two
treatment plants.186 The two plants are “Wildcat Hill and Rio De Flag”.187
182 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 10 Peter Friederici Professor of Journalism at NAU. 2011183 Ishii Ph D, The San Francisco Peaks: A Matter of Perspectives and Truths. P. 4184 Kent Nerburn, Louise Mengelkoch. Native American Wisdom. The Classic Wisdom Collection, P. 52185 Ishii Ph D, The San Francisco Peaks: A Matter of Perspectives and Truths. P. 4186 N.A. 535 F. 3d 1058 (2008). Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service. 187 Gary Ghioto, Arizona Daily Sun newspaper. Saturday June 14th 2003, P. 1
30
The water for reuse then passes through a final sand and anthracite filters process
prior to disinfection by ultraviolet light radiation. The water is further treated with hypochlorite
solution to ensure that residual disinfection is maintained.188 Once this process is complete,
the reused water is considered clean enough to use environmentally. Therefore, no adverse
physical affects upon “plants, springs or natural resources” should occur.189
Despite the hypochlorite solution treatment, microbial pathogens and enteric bacteria,
viruses and protozoa (including cryptosporidium and giardia) can still be found.190
Cryptosporidium for example is one of the “most frequent causes of waterborne disease
among humans in the United States”.191 Subsequently, treated reused water can be suitable
for snowmaking, but the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) states that
precautions must be taken to avoid any ingestion by humans.192 Any organization in Arizona
using reclaimed water by law, must therefore clearly signpost that reclaimed water is being
used locally and that human beings should not ingest the water.193
The State of Arizona grades the standard of Flagstaff’s two-treatment plants final
processed reclaimed water, as A+. A+ water can be used for “crop irrigation, snowmaking,
residential irrigation and fire protection”.194 To produce A+ water, the Wildcat plant required a
$20 million upgrade by Flagstaff City council which was put in place in 2003.195 The
treatment plant previously could only produce class B water, which is only considered
suitable for “street cleaning and golf course watering”.196 Reclaimed water now provides over
‘16%’ of the total water demand that is annually required in Northern Arizona.197
188 Gremillion Ph.D. Capstone Design Capstone CENE 486c - Spring 2006 Portable Water Treatment System Final. P. 8189 Ibid190 N.A. 535 F. 3d 1058 (2008). Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service.191 N.A. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Cryptosporidium http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/ (Accessed 13April 2012)192 N.A. 535 F. 3d 1058 (2008). Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service. 193 Wilson, Personal Interview No 11194 Ghioto, Digging deep to reclaim aquifer, P. 3 195 Ibid, P.2196 Ibid, P.3197 Ibid, P. 1
31
Despite the grade A+ rating, controversy exists regarding the forest service’s claim,
that reused water is “safe to use”.198 This is because different standards exist in different
States on what is acceptable contamination after processing.
The final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) used by forest service’s legal
representation in support of the Snowbowl reuse water application, acknowledges that
treated sewage effluent still contains ‘unidentified and unregulated’ organic contaminants.199
However, under Arizona Law, treated water is still usable even if “four out of seven” water
samples contain faecal coliform bacteria.200 One such bacterium often associated with
untreated water is Escherichia Coli or E/Coli. E/coli can cause severe illness if ingested by
humans, in some cases it could be life threatening.201
Flagstaff’s treatment plants do not test for many modern ‘manmade’ chemicals such
as ‘acrylamids, Dalapan, Di (2-elhylhexl) Adipae, Dinseb, Diquat, Endothall, Epichlorhdrin,
Elhylene Dibromide, Lindane, Oxamylcvydates, Picloram, Simazine and Aluminium’.202 Such
chemicals could be from prescription drugs or care products, and could be potentially
hazardous to human and animal consumption if taken in significant quantity. For example,
the presence of trace metals in surface water is an important constituent in maintaining
biological growth, in excess amounts; metals can cause damage to the kidneys, liver and
nervous system.203 Excess amounts, can also cause cancer, nerve damage and mental
retardation.
Dr Paul Torrance (former Professor at NAU) has reported on reclaimed water use
that “veterinary antibiotics, anti-seizure medication and steroids” found in antibacterial
products are known collectively as ”triclosan and trilocarbons”.204 These can become “mega
carcinogen poisonous dioxins’ when subjected to ultra violet light as they would be during
198 Boggs, Kyle. Our Water Systems, Our Future: Inconvenient Truths Revealed in Snowbowl Talks. http://www.undertheconcrete.org/2010/12/05/our-water-systems-our-future-inconvenient-truths-revealed-in-snowbowl-talks/ (Accessed February 5th 2011) 199 N.A. 535 F. 3d 1058 (2008). Navajo Nation v. United States Forest Service. P. 200 Wilson, Personal Interview No 12 201 Gremillion Ph.D., P.E. Capstone Design Capstone CENE 486c - Spring 2006 Portable Water Treatment System Final. P. 30202 Boggs, Our Water Systems, Our Future: Inconvenient Truths Revealed in Snowbowl Talks. 203 Gremillion Ph.D., P.E. Capstone Design Capstone CENE 486c - Spring 2006 Portable Water Treatment System Final. P. 30204 Boggs, Our Water Systems, Our Future: Inconvenient Truths Revealed in Snowbowl Talks
32
the treatment plant process.205 Dr Torrance’s work has also identified, antihistamines,
caffeine, codeine, fragrances and bio-accumulating compounds in reclaimed water, which
worryingly, when triclosan reacts with chloride, it becomes chloroform which is a carcinogen
in action.206
Local environmental scientist Dr Catherine Propper supports Dr Torrance’s findings.
Dr Propper stated that using an ultra violet treatment process on reclaimed water can
sometimes ‘backfire depending on what compounds are present’ making them better or
worse.207 Dr Propper has also demonstrated in her own research, some troubling effects of
endocrine trace elements found in reclaimed wastewater in animals. Dr Propper has
identified, that shifts in genes may occur in animals resulting in faulty gonads.208
Dr Propper reiterates the importance of healthy gonads long-term in regards to
normal sexual and developmental growth in animals209. Dr Proppers research identifies real
concerns about the normal sexual ratio in different natural species when such species are
exposed to manmade product elements, as they will be on the San Francisco Peaks.
Dr Propper is co-publisher of Wastewater Effluent, the report has identified, that
“endocrine disrupting” compounds have the ability to alter the normal “function of the
endocrine system” which is responsible for growth and development in all vertebrates.210 Dr
Propper says that Endocrine Disruptors are manmade compounds that impact any aspect of
the “Endocrine physiology development, from the synthesis of hormones, all through growth
to tissue level”.211 Such an effect could change behaviour, development and reproduction
ability in next generation plants and fauna.
In Dr Proppers opinion, no matter how the water is treated it ends up with “over-
toxicity” and can cause animals to fall over dead when the water is released from a “primary
205 Kyle Boggs, No Really....What is in the Wastewater. http://www.undertheconcrete.org/2009/10/06/no-reallywhat-is-in-the-wastewater/. (Accessed February 5th 2011)206 Ibid 207 Boggs, Our Water Systems, Our Future: Inconvenient Truths Revealed in Snowbowl Talks208 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 22 Dr Catherine Propper Scientist at NAU. 2011209 Boggs, Our Water Systems, Our Future: Inconvenient Truths Revealed in Snowbowl Talks210 Wilson, Personal Interview No 22
211 Ibid
33
treatment plant or worse no treatment facility”.212 When water is released from a secondary
treatment facility then scientist can see “gonads in male species becoming female”.213 Dr
Proppers work has concluded that fish and frogs in such exposed areas, “impacted by
endocrine disruption” caused by infected reclaimed water allowed the chemicals in the water
after processing to “mimic or antagonise hormone action”.214
In 2002, a United States geological survey, found that ‘industrial waste such as
pesticides and insecticides’ were found in water samples across the country from steams
near to ‘wastewater effluent outlets’.215 Such manmade chemicals are known to post health
risks like cancer, birth defects, brain damage or possibly immune disorders.216
Dr Propper states, that due to the fact human testing is illegal, “we can only see the
results in animals”.217 But she adds, “because these tests are done on animals, it does not
mean that we could not potentially see effects in humans later as humans are no
different”.218 Dr Propper wants to see much better built treatment plants to ensure “higher
standards” of cleaner reclaimed water is produced.219 She stated that we cannot say for sure
“if this water was placed on the mountain that we would see the same result”, only that
animals downstream from water treatment plants had “positive or negative results”.220 Dr
Propper did reiterate that we will “not see people falling down dead from endocrine
disruptors but “quality of life issues may arise”.221
In personal interview, geologist Dr Abraham Springer of NAU, expressed his
concerns over the planned use of snowmaking on the peaks. Dr Springer explained that he
has personally accomplished extensive research at the Hart Prairie Preserve (which is
adjacent to the peaks), and because of natural snowmelts from highs levels trickling down
212 Ibid213 Ibid 214 Ibid 215 David Quandrud Ph D, Catherine R. Propper Ph D, Wastewater Effluent: Biological Impacts of Exposure and Treatment Processes to Reduce Risk. N.D. P. Introduction 216 Gremillion Ph.D, P.E. Capstone Design Capstone CENE 486c - Spring 2006 Portable Water Treatment System Final. P. 30217 Wilson, Personal Interview No 22 218 Ibid219 Ibid220 Ibid221 Ibid
34
from different aquifers all draining into one another and eventually finding its way into the
nearby Verde River. Dr Springer is concerned that reclaimed water could affect nutriments in
the Verde potentially for up to a radius of 200 miles.222
Dr Springer adds, that some local species of plants and animals are not found
“anywhere else in the world”, and that consensus needs to the established if potential
incalculable damage is to be avoided.223 Dr Springer biggest concern is that of “nitrogen”, as
the chemical is not removed from the cleaning process.224 Instead, nitrogen is turned from
“nitrate to nitrite” via process becoming less hazardous but still not natural.225 He explains it
is not evaluated how much artificial snow will melt through the environmental terrain.226 He
remarked, endocrine disruptors and anthropogenic waste indicators do not appear in real
snow.227
Dr Springer further added that because waste indicators do not appear in real snow,
then it “should be clearly understood by the authorities” before manmade snow is placed
onto a wildlife habitat as the natural environment may be changed.228 He states, “50% to
70%” of the snow in Flagstaff sublimates making it go straight into the atmosphere, this is
partly due to the climate of dry wind and sunshine.229 What is left of the water would infiltrate
into the ground and Dr Springer warned, that climate change could cause rain and snowfall
averages to change lower down the mountain slopes resulting in more future use of
manmade snow being used.230
Dr Springer further added it would help significantly if Arizona State was to revaluate
it’s A+ rating in light of the environmental scientific findings that have been identified not just
locally but around the world regarding reclaimed wastewater purity levels.231 Dr Springer
222 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 4 Abraham Springer Professor of Geology at NAU. 2011 223 Ibid224 Ibid225 Ibid226 Ibid227 Ibid228 Ibid229 Ibid230 Ibid231 Ibid
35
accepts, that Nevada for example pumps its wastewater into Lake Mead and then takes it
straight out again for general use.232 He adds, San Diego has been using wastewater for
decades and many Western states are becoming increasingly dependent on reused water
so far without any serious problem developing to his knowledge.233
The issue of unnatural nitrogen level is a concern shared by the Nature
Conservancy, the conservation organisation consider the San Francisco Peaks area as a
priority bio-diverse conversation area. Nitrogen levels where reclaimed water has been used,
have been found to be “five times” that of normal levels and subsequently can potentially
lead to increased growth of weedy non-native plants that could dominate and out compete
native species.234 Nitrogen addition has been demonstrated scientifically in the conservatory
report, to have significant effects on not only vegetation, but also to negatively impact soil
fauna in areas of conifer forests. 235
Although in general, the conservancy supports the use of reclaimed water and
accepts that nitrogen in the environment is an essential nutrient for biological growth.236 The
conservancy does not consider an alpine ecosystem like the peaks to be in anyway a
desirable place to disperse treated effluent by virtue of the alpine ecosystem’s remoteness
and relatively pristine condition.237
In the Nature Conservancies 2005 report on the Snowbowl plan, they stated that they
would like test sites to be set up at specific points throughout the San Francisco Peaks area
to test water quality if the proposal for snowmaking goes ahead.238 Whilst accepting that
wildlife faecal material will occur naturally in the system (elk droppings for example), the
potential threat to wildlife, plants and humans posed by concentrations of pharmaceuticals,
232 Ibid233 Ibid234 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 9 Edward Smith Forest Ecologist for the Nature Conservancy. 2011235 Neil Chapman, Snowbowl Update-Water Monitoring, Water Quality Monitoring Needs at Hart Prairie, The Nature Conservancy. N.D. 236 Bill Ulfelder, Letter to Ken Jacobs Snowbowl DEIS Team Leader, 12 April, 2004 237 Chapman, Snowbowl Update-Water Monitoring, Water Quality Monitoring Needs at Hart Prairie, 238 Ibid
36
personal care products (PPCPS), and endocrine disruptors in reused water requires
monitoring scientifically.239
In personal interview, Ed Smith who works for the Nature Conservancy, pointed out
that many insects such as “dragonfly’s, mammals like elk and a huge array of birds and
herbivores for example live off the species of plants which populate the sides of the peaks
mountain area”.240 Deer, elk, gofers, grasshoppers and other native species have already in
his opinion, been shown to have increased levels of contamination from unnatural trace
elements through wastewater use in other areas of America and around the world.241 In his
opinion, treating effluent reclaimed water to “higher standards” is vital long-term.242 Mr Smith
is especially concerned about the effect of wastewater use on the “Bebb Willow”, Bebb
Willow is a riverside community and not one particular species of plant, it has also been
“categorised as G2 in rarity” because there are few plants in large numbers in anyone
place.243 G1 would mean less than five specimens of such fauna or flora left in the world. G2
would mean less than 20. Mr Smith remarks, we must remember, many insects depend on
the Bebb Willow area for their survival. Some of these insects exist nowhere else in the
world.
Mr Smith remarked, the established Foxgen water well, situated on the Hart Prairie
Preserve. Is already showing on routine testing, to have unacceptable effluent contamination
levels before any wastewater for snow is used.244 Mr Smith feels the answer to the problem,
is to have better treatment plants. Mr Smith said, using “03 Oxygen” ozonisation filtration
would be better.245 Ozonisation uses a longer oxygen infiltrated process, which causes the
water to “bubble” much longer, therefore making the water much cleaner as a result.246 Other
239 Ibid240 Wilson, Personal Interview No 9241 ibid242 ibid243 ibid244 ibid245 ibid246 ibid
37
areas in the U.S and around the world use this Ozonisation process, Mr Smith stated that he
recognises this is not a cheap option.247
Neil Chapman (who is the Hart Prairie Preserve manager) expressed concern for the
unique biodiversity that exists in the Bebb Willow drainage system and wet meadow areas if
wastewater contamination occurs. Mr Chapman said, “obviously anything that changes the
natural water supply will have an effect somehow”.248 Science just cannot say presently
”where, when and by how much”.249 He remarked, endocrine disruptors in the soil nutrients
in conjunction with higher nitrogen levels would cause changes in the way some plants
operate.250 Such as the Kentucky Blue Grass, which if it came into contact with reclaimed
water, may begin to out compete other native plants. These plants are food for local animals
and if contaminated would lead to those animals possibly being affected also. Neil Chapman
feels a great opportunity to accurately monitor how a natural environment changes with
climate change is being lost by this development. He explained that this area in the 1900’s
saw the “fort valley experimental forest”, which realised trees needed to be monitored in
order for the lumberjack industry to be kept open.251 He had hoped for the area to become a
monitoring site but funding was cut, the Conservancy has voiced official concerns over lack
of adequate testing which so far have gone unheard.
In interview, Peter Friederici (Professor of Journalism at NAU) points out that due to
the peaks location being in the “arid west” and water becoming increasingly a more scarce
resource.252 The topic for using reclaimed water becomes potentially more dyer for the
environments long-term consequences.253 If water after treatment is still contaminated with
unacceptable levels of trace manmade elements Mr Friederici points out; then the
technology, machines and equipment used to set up existing wastewater treatment plants
247 ibid248 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 17 Neil Chapman Manager of the Hart Prairie Preserve in Arizona. 2011 249 ibid250 ibid251 ibid252 Wilson, Personal Interview No 10253 ibid
38
are shown already not to be adequate in regards to filtering out chemicals.254 The equipment
therefore he adds was designed to detect pollution at the time of building and not the
pollution we know about now.
Howard Shanker stated the EPA is poised to conduct an environmental study but not
until the of beginning in 2012 in the Peaks area. He says the analysis of levels of chemicals
and what is considered safe in reclaimed water differs from State to State.255 Shanker says
there are no national standards for quality when it comes to reclaimed wastewater.
Dr Propper’s scientific research shows that contaminated reclaimed water does
adversely affect the biodiversity and normal development of such things as amphibians, this
could be a problem as the Western striped chorus frog and tiger salamander are located
downstream from the Snowbowl in the Hart Prairie Reserve.256 Dr Propper points out that
insufficient analytical data is currently available for knowing conclusively what will happen
environmentally if reclaimed water was to be placed on the mountainside.257 Only when more
adequate research has been completed Dr Propper stated, can a proper diagnosis be made
about what affects reclaimed water use for snowmaking can have on the environment.258
J. R Murray (Snowbowl Manager) has been quoted in the local media, saying that
reclaimed water is not only safe to drink, but also cleaner then the water that falls from the
sky in the form of precipitation.259 However, such a claim is only based upon the grading and
standards tested in the state of Arizona. Mr Murrays comments, could be based on the work
of consultant “Jim Crook”, who in the early 1970’s in San Diego California.260 Began using
Dennis Chancellor’s discovery of cleaning wastewater by “Reverse Osmosis”, or a hyper
filtration process that Crook at the time claimed, made the wastewater treatment quality in
San Diego better than the natural drinking water at that time.261
254 ibid255 Wilson, Personal Interview No 11256 Quandrud Ph D, Propper Ph D, Wastewater Effluent: Biological Impacts of Exposure and Treatment Processes to Reduce Risk. P. 12257 Wilson, Personal Interview No 22258 ibid259 Boggs, no really....What is in the Wastewater 260 Peter Friederici, Facing the Yuck Factor, Www.HighCountryNews.com, Published September 17, 2007, http://www.hcn.org/issues/354/17227 (Accessed February 15th 2011) 261 Gremillion, Capstone Design Capstone CENE 486c - Spring 2006 Portable Water Treatment System Final P. 5
39
In interview, Mr Burke stated, the likelihood of lawsuits happening against Flagstaff
City Council and Snowbowl would be unlikely even if any contamination happened.262
Arizona State grades the reclaimed water as A+, so locally it is more than safe to use even if
the local filtration process does not test for all known compounds. Mr Burke stated that
reclaimed water meets EPA safe reused water standards and the possibility of someone
getting sick in therefore very low.263 Mr Burke points out that Flagstaff has used reclaimed
water throughout the city in parks, golf courses and recreational areas. This practice has
been going on from the 1980’s; resulting in a good record, and Flagstaff does update its filter
and treatment plants. Mr burke also added, that the liability is sent to the user under state
law. He said, “it’s their tap, so it’s their decision to use or not, making the responsibility for
use clearly theirs”264. Liability he added changes at the metre265.
Wendell Duffield (former Volcanologist at NAU) stated, that due to the scarcity of
water in Northern Arizona, it would be a “misuse of resource” to make snow. Because water
sublimates, a huge waste of potential “drinking water” is lost in his opinion.266 When water
sublimates he adds, it evaporates to vapour, then goes into the atmosphere, not touching
the soil at all and it could take decades before some of the snowmelts back into the
aquifer.267 Mr Duffield feels the “yuk factor” about using reclaimed water for drinking stops
the idea from going ahead and this problem “must be overcome” if humankind is to preserve
water.268 On the proposal of finding new portable water sites, Mr Duffield adds it could be
“2000 feet” of drilling before water was located.269 In addition, funding new water access
points is very expensive, and he explains there is no guarantee you can find any in Northern
Arizona.270
262 Wilson, Personal Interview No 24 263 Ibid264 Ibid265 Ibid266 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 19 Wendell Duffield Retired Professor at NAU in the Volcano logy Department. 2011 267 Ibid268 Ibid 269 Ibid270 Ibid
40
Michael Vasquez (anthropologist at NAU) has worked with indigenous people for
over 20 years, he remarks, the whole concept of ecological zones came into western
science through one man by the name of Frank Miriam. He made an epic horseback trip in
1889 from Phoenix in the desert to the top of the San Francisco Peaks, which saw him travel
through “10 of the 12 life zones on the planet”.271 He brought the whole idea of “interlinked
biodiversity into scientific thinking” and helped establish the concept into the English
language.272 Miriam’s ride showed “how many things naturally live together”; allowing native
indigenous knowledge and cultural understanding of how humankind must respect nature
and not abuse and adversely alter the environment, allowing it to become accepted scientific
and environmental understanding.273
271 Richard Wilson, Personal Interview No 15 Michael L. Vasquez Professor of Anthropology at NAU. 2011272 Ibid273 Ibid
41
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the court decision is decided, unless there is further legal objection,
from November 2012, reclaimed water to make manmade snow will commence on the
Snowbowl resort. The economic and commercial needs of the few, clearly have overcome
the religious, scientific and environmental concerns of the many. Along with the reclaimed
water, comes substantial redevelopment and environmental redesigning of an area so many
indigenous Native Americans consider sacred. The decision to allow wastewater to make
snow on top of the Pumice mining damage sustained in the 80’s, must really hurt emotionally
the patience, spirit and sap the human will for so many Native Americans. The evidence is
clear, local tribes are emotionally and psychologically bonded to their land, their belief
system and historical heritage, which is based on the Peaks area. There is potentially, a
serious future social issue for the City of Flagstaff, if young generations of Native Americans
feel alienated from their culture, spirituality, and ceremonial religious practices. It is surely a
concern, that the U.S. legal system and todays modern Flagstaff society broadly still lacks
the insight to see the centuries of sacredness the Native tribes hold for the San Francisco
Peaks. Looking at the historical facts, the damage to Native reverence for their gods and
deities was begun in the 1920’s when the forest service allowed Ole Solberg permission to
build his small ski run. There is no written indication, that local tribes were consulted about
the decision or that their religious beliefs and ceremonial practices were considered. The
failure to have no national agreed standards for reclaimed wastewater, even after filtration
and prior to re-entry into the environment is surely a concern for everyone. Science
evaluated data and continued monitoring, is already expressing great concern for the long-
term possible adverse effects on so much fauna and flora in exposed areas. Science and
Religion have never mixed well, but what is needed here is surely a little faith in science to
evaluate the future issues before potentially drastic irreversible changes appear. Another
Frank Miriam individual, one could argue is needed in present time to promote and educate
42
better understanding of nature and the possible effects in the area he once worked, before
we see the environment change forever.
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50
Appendix
A DVD for Peak Issue is included containing 25 personal interviews recorded for this dissertation: These are placed in order of how they appear on the DVD.
70.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 1, Klee Benally, Native American Film Maker
and Activist. 2011
71.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 2 Jeremiah Caughy, Ski Shop Manager.
2011
72.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 3 Abdul Hadi Dashti, Islamic Priest. 2011
73.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 4 Abraham Springer Professor of Geology at
NAU. 2011
74.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 5 Andrew Sarracino Navajo Resident, Works
with Young Native Americans at NAU. 2011
75.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 6 Andy Bessler Field Organizer for the Sierra
Club. 2011
76.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 7 Father Mathew Lowry, Priest Chaplin at
Holy Trinity Catholic Newman Centre. 2011
77.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 8. Dion Benn Native American Resident on
the Reservation of the Navajo Nation. 2011
78.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 9 Edward Smith Forest Ecologist for the
Nature Conservancy. 2011
51
79.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 10 Peter Friederici Professor of Journalism at
NAU. 2011
80.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 11 Howard Shanker Lawyer for Native
American Tribes in Arizona. 2011
81.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 12 Kyle Boggs Instructor at NAU and also
editor of free newspaper, The Noise. 2011
82.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 13 Lomayumtewa C. Ishii Professor of
Political Science at NAU. 2011
83.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 14 Lynda Fleischer Co-Owner of the Bar and
Grill Restaurant, in Flagstaff. 2011
84.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 15 Michael L. Vasquez Professor of
Anthropology at NAU. 2011
85.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 16 Mike Yates Professor of Archaeology at
NAU. 2011
86.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 17 Neil Chapman Manager of the Hart Prairie
Preserve in Arizona. 2011
87.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 18 Marina M Vasquez Professor at NAU in
the Indigenous Studies Department, also a Mayan Elder. 2011
88.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 19 Wendell Duffield Retired Professor at
NAU in the Volcano logy Department. 2011
89.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 20 Mary Denoon Owner of the Thunder
Mountain Traders shop, in Flagstaff. 2011
90.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 21 Rabbi Nina PearlMutter. 2011
91.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 22 Dr Catherine Propper Scientist at NAU.
2011
92.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 23 Helen Lau Running Author, grant writer
consultant and the assistant editor of the Navajo-Hopi Observer newspaper. 2010
52
93.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 24 Kevin Burke Flagstaff City Manager. 2011
94.Wilson, Richard. Personal Interview No 25 Sean McMahan Manager and Mark
Greenwall Assistant Manager of the Monti Vist Hotel. 2011
53