PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release November 16, 1996
Contact Mark Lipe (503) 735-0453
"Native American Community Struggles to Save Sacred Site"
Logging is scheduled to begin early this week at the Anpo Ceremonial
Grounds and Cultural Youth Camp, amidst strong protest by Native American
Community and Spiritual Leaders. Members of the Native American Community
have committed themselves to strong, non-violent civil disobedience as a
means of protecting their sacred ceremonial site. Native American Leaders
feel that logging of these sacred grounds is a violation of their religious
freedom and vow to see the the sanctity of this site is protected.
The Anpo Ceremonial grounds and Cultural Youth Camp, located in Eastern
Oregon in the Mt. Hood National Forest, has been the site of annual
intertribal ceremonies for the past 14 years. In addition, Anpo Camp serves
the religious and spiritual needs of a broad spectrum of the Traditional
Native American Community throughout the year, offering ceremony, retreat,
and personal counseling. Anpo Camp also serves the needs of Native American
Youth by offering numerous youth camps designed to teach Native American
children their traditional ways. The youth camps teach arts & crafts, oral
traditions, outdoor survival, hunting, fishing, sports, and traditional
religious practices. The youth camps build a sense of character and
identity that keeps Native American Youth out of gangs, and off the
streets.
Susana Santos, of the Anpo Board of Directors, is outraged at the callous
disregard for the Native American Children which the U.S. Forest Service
has shown in its decision to log within their youth camp. Santos says, "The
decision by the Mount Hood National Forest Service to allow logging in an
Intertribal Native American Youth and Religious Sanctuary, is child abuse
and religious persecution. There is simply no way to adequately explain the
desecration of this youth camp to our children. So, we pose this question
to the Mt. Hood National Forest Service, would they create public policy to
log and conduct archaeological desecration through The Boy Scouts or Girl
Scouts of America camps?" Susana Santos Speaking at Honor the Earth
Concert, Portland, Oregon
Thomas Creek Lumber, who bought the rights to this timber sale for $40,000
is demanding $100,000 from the Native American Community in order to stop
the impending desecration of this sacred site. Native American Youth are
calling upon the citizens of Oregon to each send $1 to a fund that will be
established to pay Thomas Creek the ransom that will save their youth camp.
A food drive will also be established to help the families of loggers
prevented from working during the ongoing protests.
Susana Santos and Milton Sahme will be on scene to answer media questions.
For directions to Anpo Camp, and Updates, contact Mark Lipe at (503)
735-0453.
Please distribute as widely as possible.
For further information and background on the Anpo issue see
http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/sacred_sites/anpo/
The Press Release below is located at
http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/sacred_sites/anpo/anpo1116.html
In the Spirit of Friendship,
Andrea
Web-Diva, Planet Peace
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Andrea Thein "They had things to SAY.
Director, Planet Peace We had things to DO!"
First Nations Community Internet Project --Alvina Lum, Sinixt
http://www.teleport.com/~amt/planetpeace/ email: amt@teleport.com
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