Navajo Council Naabik’iyati Committee Subcommittee on Sacred Sites finished conference call meeting called by UN President of General Assembly and now the Subcommittee is discussing the conference call and other meetings with other indigenous nations that they will be meeting with during their attendance at World Conference of Indigenous Peoples in New York City from July 16 to 18, 2014. The Subcommittee is meeting in the north conference room of the Council chamber in Window Rock, Ariz.
CHIEF OF STAFF LEONARD GORMAN
not world conference like other UN world conferences which were week long. this one is three days. the general assembly president issued his statement and wat we will talk about on Wednesday regarding how to move indigenous rights into the world community and address according to human rights standard.
July 18 is when discussions occur to get into World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in Geneva Switzerland from Aug. 9 to 15. And one World Conference agenda item is San Francisco Peaks. Subcommittee members will be lobbying with other UN members concerning the right of the Navajo Nation to protect San Francisco Peaks by suspending all operations until there is a hearing with United States. That is ultimate outcome for that world conference.
OFFICE OF SPEAKER CHIEF OF STAFF LEONARD GORMAN
point of “free prior and informed consent” is new for UN and addresses those countries that are financially unable to secure loans and World Bank has recognized that and there is requirement for all contractors involved in constructing highways through indigenous lands are required to notify indigenous nations.
This issue of free prior and informed consent involves the US and initial development of San Francisco Peaks.
NAVAJO HISTORIC PROGRAM
we wanted to introduce ourselves, under hx preservation, the traditional cultural program works with land outside Navajo Reservation and defined based on oral history and we work with National Hx Act and sacred sites and objects and human remains which involves Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. We are also working with tribal justice department on eagles and Hopis.
our office also got involved in the auctioning of Navajo sacred items in June online and there have been three other instances.
ERIC WILSON, US INTERIOR ATTORNEY
sale of sacred objects – we don’t know anything about items/list or who purchased.. is that info you are looking for.
TRIBAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION
when we got notice from you, tribal historic preservation timothy begay responded. 34 items and identified with Night Way ceremony. we got auction notification but it was in the French language.
ERIC WILSON, US INTERIOR ATTORNEY
bald and golden eagle feathers issue – one was Navajo and other was another tribe’s. we talked with auctioneer about allowing tribes to examine auction items and auctioneer refused.
DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
my question is about sale – who purchased?
ERIC WILSON, US INTERIOR ATTORNEY
no, we don’t know. we were interested in which objects sold and for how much. but buyers not identified. buyers buying over telephone. there were two purchasers that bought a large amount of objects.
CHIEF OF STAFF LEONARD GORMAN
wat was position of US regarding cultural properties and hope US exerted rights of indigenous peoples.
ERIC WILSON, US INTERIOR ATTORNEY
we talked with government of France and UNESCO but neither have implemented procedures. there is congressional Act ratifying treaty but US has to identify resources under Treaty.
CHIEF OF STAFF LEONARD GORMAN
There is paramount concern from Navajo about how US treating this especially in light of World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
ERIC WILSON, US INTERIOR ATTORNEY
When Interior Assistant Secretary Washburn eluded to “ad hoc” procedure, it involves consulting with tribes with higher level government officials and that could occur in next several months or soooner. What hope to happen is going to happen. Hope no more auctions until work is done. We are working on homework for consultation so you will have our “best thinking” to look at regarding sacred objects.
DELEGATE ELMER BEGAY
Maybe the US cud meet with Navajo delegation regarding US approach to sacred objects sometime during the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in New York City from July 16 to 18. And while we are talking sacred objects with US and UN that there would be this auction of Navajo sacred objects.
CHIEF OF STAFF LEONARD GORMAN
Navajo delegation should meet with UNESCO in New York City. If opportunity to meet between 8 am and 10 am because world conference usually starts at 10 am
DURING era of early contact between Navajo and outsiders, the protection of Navajo people was paramount and so there is historical memory of Night Way “masks” purposely being sent to Europe. That’s according to Navajo Vice President Rex Lee Jim, who was at Council delegate and member of Council delegation working with UN at that time.
The proposed rules regarding sacred objects and indigenous religious rights does not address repatriation which would allow for dialogue with European nations, such as recently with France and the auction there of Navajo Night Way items. And then there is the issue of whether the rules would go into the private sector.
According to a BLOG POST about the recent sale of Navajo and Hopi sacred objects, “The Holocaust Art Restitution Project ( “HARP”), based in Washington, DC, chaired by Ori Z. Soltes, is denouncing a “shameful” and “tragic” decision by the French “Conseil des Ventes” (“Board of Auction Sales”), an administrative body in charge of regulating and supervising auction sales on the French market, which is refusing to suspend an auction sale of sacred masks owned by the Hopi and Navajo tribes, scheduled for Friday, June 27, 2014.”
The Navajo Council Naabik’iyati Committee Subcommittee on Sacred Sites adjounred.
