Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Indian Sacred Sites
The involved tribes consulted for this EIS do not make a clear distinction between what others
call “sacred” and “secular.” In tribal communities, terms such as sacred, spiritual, ceremonial,
religious, and ritualistic do not distinguish an activity, place, or object into a realm that is separate
from daily life. The activities, places, and objects given these descriptors “are pervasive in these
tribal communities and in their ways of living and thinking, and are seen by the tribes themselves
as inseparable from their daily activities” (Benedict and Hudson, 2008:17). Sacred sites are not
solitary, but rather are linked together by a set of religious relationships that are part of the
cultural makeup of the group; this results in a holistic sacred geography that is a fundamental part
of and context for the everyday lives of the individuals in the group. Gulliford (2000:68) explains
that “Sacred sites remain integral to tribal histories, religions, and identities . . .”, and Benedict
and Hudson reiterate that tribes’ activities at sacred sites “are simply expressions of cultural
practices that are part of a larger continuum of activity that defines their cultural identity”
(2008:31).
However, for the purposes of this EIS and its analysis, sacred sites must meet the definition in
Executive Order 13007, Indian Sacred Sites. This order addresses Federal land managing agency
requirements for accommodating access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites by Indian
religious practitioners and avoiding adversely affecting the physical integrity of such sacred sites.
Sacred sites are defined in the executive order as:
“Any specific, discrete, narrowly delineated location on Federal land that is
identified by an Indian tribe, or Indian individual determined to be an
appropriately authoritative representative of an Indian religion, as sacred by
virtue of its established religious significance to, or ceremonial use by, an Indian
religion; provided that the tribe or appropriately authoritative representative of an
Indian religion has informed the agency of the existence of such a site.”
(Executive Order 13007, 61 FR 26771, Section 1, Part (b)(iii))
Some places are considered sacred due to their association with traditional religious activities.
The activity itself in that place imbues the place with sacredness. Other places are sacred by
definition, whether an activity occurs there or not. Sacred narratives often define sacred places by
their role in origin stories, stories of spiritual beings or cultural heroes, or stories about the origins
of ceremonies, sacred instructions, and sacred objects. Some sacred places are required to be
visited, and maintain their sacredness through physical or spiritual use. Other sacred places are
specifically forbidden to be visited, perhaps by certain groups of people, or only visited by those
who are properly prepared through prayer or ceremony. Such places are never truly abandoned,
even if not visited in person. Use of a sacred site can be determined through a traditional religious
calendar, or can be sporadic, determined when conditions require it. In many instances, visitation
to a sacred site requires privacy, and the places and objects left there need to remain undisturbed
in order to fulfill their function within the traditional belief system of the tribe.
Ultimately, and per the Executive Order, sacredness of a place is defined by the group to whom it
is sacred. It is important to note that there is no review of such determinations by a Federal
agency (ACHP, 2005). For all of the involved tribes, Mt. Taylor is considered in and of itself to be
a sacred site in its entirety, one that is currently used for ceremonial activities, and which plays a
distinctive role in the religion and cultural traditions of the tribes. The tribes view Mt. Taylor and
its associated lands in a holistic manner, referring to it as a sacred landscape that includes
landforms, rocks, soil, sand, water, springs, tinajas, drainages, plants, animals, archaeological
336 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest