University Continues Appache Assault At Mount Graham

But, University Supports Navajo at San Francisco Peaks

Under smokescreen cover of a admirable petition to help the Navajo protect their sacred San Francisco Peaks against a ski resort, the University of Arizona and its partners have secretly renewed their Mount Graham telescope permit for another 20 years.

On Mount Graham, in order to promote their astronomers, the University of Arizona has achieved several firsts, including securing two congressional exemptions from federal cultural, religious and environmental laws.

In order to promote the Mt. Graham telescopes, the University of Arizona has become:

• the first University to fight against the listing of an Endangered Species ( July 21, 1986)

• the first University to secure a congressional legislative exemption from federal environmental, religious and cultural laws (1988)

• the first University to promote a project whose biological basis (1988 USFWS Biological Opinion on the Mt. Graham Red Squirrel) is acknowledged to be fraudulent

• the first University to litigate against the rights of Native Americans to practice their religion (1992)

• the first University to produce and implement a written plan to destroy the religion and culture of a Native people (1992, 2004)

• the first University to secure a second congressional legislative rider to expand its exemptions from federal environmental, religious and cultural laws (1996)

• the first University to arrest a Native American returning from prayer on his ancestral Sacred Grounds (August 30, 1997), and

• the first University to require prayer permits for Native Americans to pray on their ancestral Sacred Grounds (1988)

Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University are partners in the Mount Graham telescope project (See: https://web.archive.org/web/20100820185655/http://medusa.as.arizona.edu/lbto/project_partners.htm .)

News about UA’s Navajo petition:

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/03/17/navajo-nation-reaches-out-iachr-san-francisco-peaks-battle-159626

The new previously secret Mount Graham permit:

http://www.pinaleno.org/sites/default/files/mt-graham-international-observatory-telescope-special-use-permit-2015.pdf

A summary of the University of Arizona’s Mount Graham activities can be found at:

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/mount-graham-red-squirrel-12-22-2010.html … “notice of intent to sue”

Robin Silver, M.D is a Co-founder and Board Member Center for Biological Diversity