Demonstrators at the Owens Dry Lake bed on Wednesday protested work on a dust mitigation site that is believed to contain many historical
Photo by Chris Morrow
artifacts including those left by a reported massacre of Paiute-Shoshone tribal members by military at Ft. Independence. Those in attendance said it was a “showing of unity today at Owens Lake! Community members from Bishop all the way to to Shoshone and Onyx sent a clear message that we will not allow our history to be destroyed.”
Reports said construction at the mitigation site was postponed but the issue is apparently not resolved. There are seeming disagreements among DWP officials and APCD Director Ted Schade over the already established procedure in cases like this one involving artifacts.
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hmmm…wonder how many artifacts were covered when highway 395 was constructed….
….or when that dirt road was built leading to the dry lake projects just south of Boulder Creek RV park…….heard some stories about that area too……….
Even if work is done here, the history still remains. Construction work has been done on so many cultural areas in the valley….
Don´t fade away this history. Ask the native what THEY want, and help to continue there memories and there believes.
I’m glad to see this episode in history being brought back into the our conciousness. Like 911…we need to be reminded, if only for the sake of respect for those who died.
Good for the Shoshone and Onyx. DWP created this problem by stealing this land and water from the murders that stole it from the Indians in the first place. I hope the Indians invite this white man to help them at their next protest. Don’t give in.
Do some research, Steve. Learn about yr neighbors. Complex issues demand complex answers. If your father’s bones were lying on the shore of what used to be a lake, what would you recommend people do?
Collect the artifacts build a museum to put them in like the Manzanar museum tell the world what happened. But please do not stop the cleanup of the toxic dust blowing off of Owens Lake.
I see children in the photo do you really want them growing up breathing the dust from Owens Lake like you did.
I say enough of the suffering for past crimes by ancestors, yours and mine. We all came from the same place and live on the same ball.
Enough with your opinion of collection! If you feel that strong enough about it, you should have came to the rally and debated it with those who differ in opinion..
Yes I have children, I do not want them growing up breathing this air that has been created by the diverted water, but again this area we are protecting is 0.1 % of the dust problem, so stop throwing that in our face, we understand they will be mitigating that area somehow, we at least want to be able to have a voice at the table at what may be implemented at these sights!
I replayed to your post yesterday, it gives a lil more background..
Yes we all live on this same ball, so then lets together take responsibility that what we do today is not sustainable for generations to come and start doing something about it!
Steve, clean lungs are important, but I also want my children to have a clear conscience and soul. This was a battle for freedom, just a few months before Gettysburg. This site was just re discovered recently. Show some respect and give people some time to make their peace, I agree we should try to move past suffering, but I can’t just snap my fingers and say get over it.