| July 22, 2005 A Bridge To Somewhere by Don Hoff, Jr., insurgent49 Are Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) or State and Local Governments above the law of the land? Rep. Don Young says the possibility of federal funding for the proposed bridge link in Ketchikan, Alaska: “I can’t guarantee you anything, but it’s still very strong,” Young told the Daily News this on Wednesday, July 6, 2005, while in Ketchikan for a House subcommittee hearing. The possibility of Ketchikan bridge funding remaining in the bill when finally approved by Congress is very strong, said Young, who added that he’s bothered by criticism describing the project as an expensive “bridge to nowhere.” “These people keep saying it’s nowhere, they’re just smoking pot,” Young said. How arrogant. Why not open Revillagigedo for Ketchikan to expand economic growth where most of the population is? The proposed bridge would cause further desecration of our Tribal grave sites on Pennock Island, with access that is protected by Federal and State laws listed below. All the homes today on Pennock Island are and have been in violation of the State law even though encroachment started in the early 1900’s. Do you think that any one Alaskan Native or any Tribe in Alaska is going to allow any removal or desecration of Tribal graves on Pennock Island or any Tribal Grave sites in Alaska so that a few opulent people can drive over a bridge? Alaska Historic Preservation Act (Alaska Stat. §41.35.010 through §41.35.240). Summary: Alaska has no specific laws dealing with reburial or repatriation of prehistoric human remains or an unmarked graves law, §41.35.190(c) of the Alaska Historic Preservation Act does state that "No person may unlawfully destroy, mutilate, deface, injure, remove or excavate a gravesite or a tomb, monument, gravestone or other structure or object at a gravesite, even though the gravesite appears to be abandoned, lost or neglected." Native Alaskan consent is required for excavation of native sites and landowner consent is required for excavation on private lands. The Alaska Historical Commission has responsibility for managing and protecting all prehistoric and historic sites in the state and issues permits for excavations. Nothing may diminish cultural rights or responsibilities of persons of aboriginal decent or infringe upon their right of possession, and use of those resources and local cultural groups may obtain from the state resources of respective cultural if meet certain criteria. Violations of the Historic Preservation Act provisions are considered a class a misdemeanor and civil penalties may be assessed up to $100,000 per violation and up to one year in jail. And, NAGPRA is an acronym from Native American Graves & Preservation Repatriation Act passed by Congress in 1993. To Rep. Don Young and supporters of this boondoggle bridge: we don’t want your $315 million dollar bridge to Gravina Island via Pennock Island. It is an extreme waste of our Federal taxpayers money. At least, that’s my own opinion. |
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2005
Insurgent Media. All Rights
Reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
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