CA ATTORNEY GENERAL JERRY BROWN SUES PADRE DAM TO PROTECT SACRED NATIVE AMERICAN SITE

[Liberty Belle]

Source: East County Magazine

East County News Service

June 24, 2010 (Santee) – California Attorney General Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown today filed a lawsuit on behalf of the California Native American Heritage Commission against Padre Dam Municipal Water District and its board of directors. The suit seeks a permanent injunction on construction of a proposed pump station, 2.5 million gallon reservoir, flow control facility and pipelines near Lake Jennings.




Circle of rocks, a traditional medicine wheel symbol, marks site where ancient Native American remains were found.

The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of California, San Diego central division, concludes that construction of the Padre Dam project, as approved by the District, would violate state law by causing severe or irreparable damage to a Native American sanctified cemetery or ceremonial site.

Over a dozen bone fragments from cremated Native Americans have been identified at the site, along with hundreds of other charred bone fragments that have not yet been identified. The area also has one of the largest concentration of pottery sherds of any identified site in San Diego County. The suit states that “the District’s own data recovery report acknowledges that the direct impacts from the construction of the project, as approved, will `effectively result in total destruction of the prehistoric archaeological site.’”

Padre Dam halted construction on the site only yesterday, after receiving a warning from the Attorney General prior to today’s lawsuit filing that its actions were in defiance of the state Native American Heritage Commission's request to halt construction. The site is on approximately 2.5 acres south of I-8 at Lake Jennings Park Road east of San Diego in the community of Lakeside.

Read more: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/3616

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Our photographer got video proof that Padre Dam Municipal Water District was continuing to excavate in defiance of the Native American Heritage Commission -- and interrupted the District's Board meeting to rush in with his evidence on Tuesday. The next day, the construction halted, and today, Attorney General Jerry Brown (who is also running for Governor) filed a lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction to save a sacred Native American burial ground and ceremonial site discovered on the property.

Padre Dam should've had a clue early on that this site was likely to be a problem for them - if they'd followed their own expert's advice and paid attention to some rather obvious signs -- such as the circle of rocks (medicine wheel) prominently noticeable on the site!

[wtmusic]

1. So much for that clean renewable hydropower

This seems to happen on a regular basis, whether it's dam or reservoir construction.

[Liberty Belle]

2. This wasn't a hydropower plant - it was to provide water, not electricity.

There are likely other less sensitive sites that can be used.

[davidhilton]

3. I'm heading out that tomorrow, maybe I'll stop by and check it out.

[CountAllVotes]

4. protect all sacred sites in America

and thank you Jerry Brown for being on top of this!

:kick: