[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIVE AMERICAN SACRED SITES

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                         HON. NEIL ABERCROMBIE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2002

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, Native American sacred lands are under 
attack as never before in this country and we must work together and be 
willing to put teeth into legislation to protect these lands once and 
for all.
  The Native Hawaiians in my district are very spiritual and 
instinctively honor that which we receive from nature. Indeed the 
goddess of fire, ``Pele'' working through the volcanoes created most of 
the great State of Hawaii. She is still very active and very honored.
  There are specific areas in my state which are sacred to the Native 
Hawaiians. Although the areas do not have a large steeple or white-
washed fence around them, they nonetheless deserve to be respected and 
protected.
  We have begun remediation on the sacred island of Kahoolawe and 
protected it from further destruction as a military bombing range. But 
there is so much more to be done.
  The problem is that we have a few laws that dance around the idea of 
protecting native sacred lands which use words like ``consultation'' or 
``accommodate'' but are inadequate to simply stop potential 
desecration.
  Occasionally, we are able to stop the mining of one sacred site, or 
the demolition of another. But the time has come for Congress to enact 
strong legislation to protect Native American sacred lands.

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