Current:Home > NewsUS government agrees to help restore sacred Native American site destroyed for Oregon road project-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
US government agrees to help restore sacred Native American site destroyed for Oregon road project
View Date:2024-12-23 23:22:40
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. government has agreed to help restore a sacred Native American site on the slopes of Oregon’s Mount Hood that was destroyed by highway construction, court documents show, capping more than 15 years of legal battles that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a settlement filed with the high court Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other federal agencies agreed to replant trees and aid in efforts to rebuild an altar at a site along U.S. Highway 26 that tribes said had been used for religious purposes since time immemorial.
Members of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde said a 2008 project to add a turn lane on the highway destroyed an area known as the Place of Big Big Trees, which was home to a burial ground, a historic campground, medicinal plants, old-growth Douglas Firs and a stone altar.
Carol Logan, an elder and member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde who was a plaintiff in the case, said she hopes the settlement would prevent the destruction of similar sites in the future.
“Our sacred places may not look like the buildings where most Americans worship, but they deserve the same protection, dignity, and respect,” Logan said in a statement shared by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the plaintiffs in their lawsuit.
The defendants included the Department of Transportation and its Federal Highway Administration division; the Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Land Management; and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
The Federal Highway Administration and the Department of the Interior declined to comment on the settlement.
In court documents dating back to 2008 when the suit was filed, Logan and Wilbur Slockish, who is a hereditary chief of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, said they visited the site for decades to pray, gather sacred plants and pay respects to their ancestors until it was demolished.
They accused the agencies involved of violating, among other things, their religious freedom and the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires tribal consultation when a federal project may affect places that are on tribal lands or of cultural or historic significance to a tribe.
Under the settlement, the government agreed to plant nearly 30 trees on the parcel and maintain them through watering and other means for at least three years.
They also agreed to help restore the stone altar, install a sign explaining its importance to Native Americans and grant Logan and Slockish access to the surrounding area for cultural purposes.
___
Claire Rush is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
veryGood! (932)
Related
- The ancient practice of tai chi is more popular than ever. Why?
- Experimental plane crashes in Arizona, killing 1 and seriously injuring another
- Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner backs New York county’s ban on transgender female athletes
- Former Vice President Mike Pence calls Trump's Jan. 6 hostage rhetoric unacceptable
- Eminem, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, N.W.A. and Janet Jackson get Songwriters Hall of Fame nods
- Icelandic volcano erupts yet again, nearby town evacuated
- Don't dismiss Rick Barnes, Tennessee this March: Dalton Knecht could transcend history
- Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
- Exclusive Yankee Candle Sale: 50% Off Holiday Candles for a Limited Time
- Student at Alabama A&M University injured in shooting
Ranking
- The NBA Cup is here. We ranked the best group stage games each night
- Sports Illustrated will continue operations after agreement reached with new publisher
- Has there ever been perfect March Madness bracket? NCAA tournament odds not in your favor
- Early voting to start in Wisconsin for president and constitutional amendments
- Bohannan requests a recount in Iowa’s close congressional race as GOP wins control of House
- 4 things to know from Elon Musk’s interview with Don Lemon
- United Airlines CEO Speaks Out Amid Multiple Safety Incidents
- Kate Middleton and Prince William Seemingly Step Out Together After Photo Controversy
Recommendation
-
TikToker Campbell “Pookie” Puckett Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Jett Puckett
-
Power ranking all 68 teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket based on March Madness odds
-
Afghan refugee convicted of murder in a case that shocked Albuquerque’s Muslim community
-
A second man charged for stealing Judy Garland's 'Wizard of Oz' ruby slippers in 2005
-
Wisconsin authorities believe kayaker staged his disappearance and fled to Europe
-
NBA playoffs picture: 20 most important games this week feature Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers
-
Kentucky Senate proposes conditions for providing funds for the state’s Office of Medical Cannabis
-
EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enacted