Francisco da Costa

Leaders at the Court.

SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS (9/15/06)

The San Francisco Peaks are Sacred to 13 tribes and to million others that understand the true meaning of Mother Earth and respect and reverence not written in those languages that prevail mostly in the Judea-Christian world and far removed from any Sacredness.
It is a crime and a sacrilege to desecrate any site, land, area, or jurisdiction that the indigenous people of American set aside to honor the Spirit and conduct certain rituals that will never, ever, be understood by those that will never be able to stand less comprehend the spirituality passed from generation to generation for thousands of years through the most sacred of human conduits.
United States Forest Service and the Department of Interior have for years defied the rights of the indigenous people of America. When the U.S. Forest Service decided to approve and expand the Snowbowl Ski Resort it touched a cord too sensitive and much to difficult to sync with any White Man's mandates that do not stand the test of time.
The White Men has always challenged the ways of those that are truly Spiritual. First they stole the land. Then they killed the Buffalo. They went on to rape and steal and pollute. Today, after grabbing the flat land they want the high land and want to go many steps ahead and desecrate that which the devil himself will not venture to get close to.
Joining the thieves Bruce Babbitt the former Secretary of the Interior who once accepted the gifts from the Tribes and promised to help the tribes but being forked tongued like many before him - he crossed over and joined the devils to expand the Snowbowl Ski Resort and continues to do so, all because the devil himself offered him money and a position.
The Great Spirit spoke many times before especially through the prophecies of the Hopi Nation. The Pale Face people will come and they will deceive, and many will follow them but in the end those that forget the teachings of the Elders will suffer and perish because they have failed to adhere to those teaching and rituals that have been tested for thousands of years. Indigenous people all over the world respect Mother Earth. Other religions do speak in vague terms - they talk the talk, but do not walk the walk when it comes to comprehending the details and honoring Mother Earth. While we are on Earth we should take care of this Earth. And when we are gone we should leave it a better place. Greed is not what Indigenous worship and cheating and polluting are not norms acceptable to those that respect Mother Earth.
Global warming is now accepted. Poisons in the sky, poisons in the Artic and Antarctica. Poisons in the Oceans and poisons where ever greed is chosen as the norm to live and let live. The Great Spirit and the people that respect Mother Earth do not harbor Greed as a way of life. The others that do will being peril not only to themselves but to those that they have chosen to force their evil ways upon.
September 14, 2006 at the Ninth Appeals Court led by Howard M. Shanker and surrounded by many tribal leaders and shamans a plea was made before the judges that it was wrong to develop the Sacred Site known to the 13 tribes as San Francisco Peaks and to the Hopis as the abode of the Kachina People.
I always wear my Kachina pendant on any auspicious occasion given to me years ago by those that have wisdom not written in any book and by those that perform rituals and pray - continue to heal Mother Earth.
Only, some greedy idiots would think nothing - pumping secondary effluents all the way up the mountain and turning treated waste water into snow. Those that are greedy have now lost their senses and become so diabolic that they have turned to unnatural ways and dwell on ideas that any normal decent human beings would shun from. Those Diabolic in their ways will pollute and in doing so will perish sooner not later.
Here in San Francisco the Ohlone and other tribes continue to bring to the attention of thousands the sad state of affairs linked to our Shellmounds. With Wounded Knee, Morning Star, Espanola Jackson, Perry, Corina, and others too many to mention we too have our trials and tribulations. The Sacred Waters of Hetch Hetchy stolen from the Paiutes and the Miwoks are wasted in the millions of gallons. When we use this precious water to flush our toilets and have been for decades - it shows us where our sentiments and priorities are placed and how far removed from true spirituality millions of folks are.
September 13, 2006 - I spent time listening to the Elders women and men talking about Environmental Issues at the Yerba Buena Gardens by 3rd Street and Mission, by the Metron Theater. September 14, 2006 I chose not to go into the Ninth Appeals Court but spend my time with those outside that offered prayers for those adjudicating the case linked to San Francisco Peaks - inside.
Prayer has been used as a powerful tool by those that can change evil ways and bring light to those that grope in darkness. The Tribal Nations all had their shamans or holy women and men at hand and each in their own way sent the best vibes into the Court so that a favorable decision could be arrived at.
We chanted and prayed for hours and then the moment came when all the lawyers and attendees came out of the Court and most seemed pleased at the outcome. The results will take days but the outcome should be favorable to those that do not speak in fork tongues.
After the Court hearing there were many speeches and they were all good. Our youth need to express themselves because the time has come to pass the torch to the young and to those that are the future Elders and Leaders of the tribes and the indigenous people to whom this Earth was given to be caretakers of.
Our youth have to challenge themselves to learn about Quality of Life issues and link them with the ways of indigenous people and the caring of Mother Earth. The land, the air, and the water polluted by those that speak in fork tongues need to be mitigated and abated - we cannot do this by silence but by speaking out and addressing the issues with a vision outside the box and in a holistic manner. As the Director of Environmental Justice Advocacy I could have spoken but I have chosen to write about the issues at hand linking it to issues that are closer at home but in the same vein as those faced by the tribes closer to the San Francisco Peaks. Enjoy the photographs. Ah Ho.