Waiting for the snow to fall: First Nations, federal policy and environmental justice

• Main Author: Lagasse, Brennan R.
• Other Authors: Bartlett, Maria
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt 2008
• Subjects: Environmental justice; NEPA; Humboldt State University > Theses > Environment and community; Ski areas; Sacred sites; National Environmental Policy Act; First Nations
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2148/405

Critical evaluation of the proposed expansion of the Arizona Snowbowl ski area will provide knowledge towards developing sustainable land-use policy. The San Francisco Peaks region in Arizona has endured numerous conflicts since the United States Forest Service (USFS) allowed the ski area's construction in 1938. The cultural importance of this region is evident in that over thirteen Native American tribes hold this area as sacred and central to their traditional way of life. Through this conflict, partnerships fostered between the tribes and several environmental groups have illuminated the significance of the cultural and natural resources involved. However, lost in the consciousness of many Americans today is the fact that indigenous peoples have been fighting to save their sacred sites since Europeans made first contact. The ski industry developed without oversight for decades even with negative impacts to both environment and community. The ski industry has failed to address these impacts due to the strength of corporate power that drives the industry. For example, loopholes found in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) will allow the Arizona Snowbowl to spray wastewater over an uncontaminated mountainside for making artificial snow, which simultaneously damages the spiritual significance of the mountain for Native Americans. I will use a methodological approach centered on qualitative interviews to examine historical actions that have paved the way for the present conflict involving the Arizona Snowbowl. Literature reviewed will examine Native American culture and sacred sites, United States-Tribal relations, the history of the ski industry, and ecosystem health as integral to the understanding of this case study analysis. The purpose is to contribute to achieving greater governmental accountability, cultural sensitivity, and recommendations for sustainable recreational activity. Through this thesis, I intend to articulate the arguments and their reasoning behind this conflict, analyze its current ...