Nanainmi Waki Uulktt-- place where the wind blows from two directions.This is Lyle Point -- where the Klickitat and Columbia rivers meet.For thousands of years area tribes called it their own--Then---the developers came.
But wait, this story has a happy ending. Heard on the net today:Lyle Point, a culturally significant 33-acre peninsula on the
Columbia River, considered sacred by the Yakama Nation, will be returned to the
Nation. The conveyance will end a decades-long effort by the Yakama to regain
land they have used for fishing for thousands of years, The Trust for Public
Land announced Tuesday. “Today, marks the return and protection of sacred land
known as Nanainmi Waki ‘ Uulktt (place where the wind blows from two directions)
to the Yakama people”, said Charles F. Sams III, Director of TPL’s Tribal &
Native Lands Program.
“Lyle Point, was once a village of the Cascade and Klickitat bands and is now a protected burial site of the Yakama Nation.”
"This is a great day for the Yakamas--to get the land returned back for
access to our fishing right areas. The younger generation will continue to
exercise their Creator-given right to our very important salmon. The U.S.
government Trust for Public Land (TPL) began its effort to protect Lyle Point in
1992, in response to a controversial proposal to build a 33-unit gated housing
development on the scenic promontory. When Klickitat County approved a
subdivision of the site into 33 lots, Tribal members and environmental groups
began a series of protests that included a nine-month encampment on the site and
litigation. In 1994, the Yakama and Warm Springs Tribes filed a lawsuit against
the landowners.
Protestors organized large marches in the state capitals of
Oregon and Washington and picketed the offices of realtors listing the lots. TPL
continued negotiations with the landowners, Klickitat Landing Partners, and held
discussions with Tribal members to investigate potential options to protect and
steward this sacred site.
In 2000, TPL acquired 27 of the lots from the original owner, and two years later, TPL acquired the remaining four lots from another party. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers purchased two lots for an in-lieu fishing site for Columbia River Tribal fishermen as part of the
settlement of the litigation. After TPL acquired the majority of lots in 2000,
Klickitat County passed an ordinance prohibiting the use of this property for
park purposes. TPL and the Yakama Indian Nation have entered into a contract to
convey Lyle Point to the Nation..
I don't yet know all the details, but it looks like the Gorge 1, Developers 0.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Great News! Lyle Point goes back to the Yakama Nation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
What a happy day, a day of justice and rightening. The ceramony was powerful and you could feel the energy. The land is recognized as sacred again..
The Yakama Nation does not use the Anglicized spelling or pronunciation of their tribal name. Please note that it is spelled with three 'A's, not two as in Yakima, the city/county.
Local Citizens Respond to News of Lyle Point Returning to the Yakama Nation
LYLE POINT, Washington – It is a great accomplishment for the Yakamas to regain land they have used for fishing for thousands of years. Not only is Lyle Point a beautiful place, it has significant historic and cultural value. Lyle Point was once a village of the Cascade and Klickitat bands. It is at the epicenter of one of the most important cultural areas in North America: the eastern Columbia Gorge, where Native Americans have lived, traded and fished for more than 10,000 years. We honor and respect the historic, cultural, and spiritual significance of this place.
We have listened carefully to stories shared with us by Chief Johnny Jackson and Chief Wilbur Slockish, Jr. They taught us about the people along this river and of their ancestors who are buried here in Lyle on the Point. They shared from their hearts and we listened while gaining a much greater understanding of the sacred relationship with the land. We are grateful for teaching us something of their culture, traditions, and values; and of their history and experiences, both happy and sad. We are glad that with the conveyance of the land from TPL, this place will now be a protected burial site of the Yakama Nation.
TPL has taken the lead among national conservation organizations by creating the Tribal Lands Program, which is devoted to working with tribal communities to acquire and protect their ancestral homelands. We commend them for their determination and commitment to restoring Lyle Point to the Yakama Nation. We trust TPL’s commitment to the success of the Tribal Lands Program will continue by serving a role in some way between the Lyle community and the Yakama Nation.
Lyle Point is part of the urban area of the community of Lyle. The Columbia River is perhaps the only reason Lyle is here. The Point has been within walking distance for more than a century. During the course of its occupation by European settlers and their progeny, Lyle Point has been a ferry landing, the Lyle town site, a sheep processing facility, and a lumber mill. Lyle Point is seen by thousands of people every day from highways and rails in 2 states, the river, and air. The local community enjoys Lyle Point daily – it is considered a very special place by locals who also consider themselves “river people”. Continued access to this very special place would be greatly appreciated and respected. Lyle Point could be a place of healing old wounds of anger and misunderstanding. There are many people in Lyle willing to help with the huge responsibility of preserving the land for generations to come. Education is a powerful bridge.
We congratulate the Yakama for reacquiring their land base in order to continue the promise to preserve, protect, and enhance their cultural and natural resources. We admire the covenant the Yakama, original stewards of this land, have with the land and water to protect and preserve these resources for all the people and creatures great and small. We join in celebrating with the Yakama the honoring of their commitment to the Creator to take care of the land and the fish. Let us also join in the responsibility to find common ground that will lead to better and more respectful uses of the land, which we all -- people, flora and fauna -- depend upon to sustain our lives. We are all members of the human family. Though each of us is a unique creation, we also share much in common. We have a spiritual bond. Honoring our interconnectedness of spirit, and as good neighbors, we welcome the Yakama home.
Post a Comment