Tribal members to challenge decision in destruction of sacred burial site
Updated Mar 5, 6:07 PM; Posted Mar 5, 2:34 PM
By Maxine Bernstein
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon tribal leaders said Monday they plan to challenge a judge's ruling that found the federal government's destruction of a sacred burial ground during the widening of U.S. 26 west of Government Camp didn't interfere with the tribe's religious freedom.
"For centuries Native Americans have endured the destruction of sacred places by the federal government, and it's heartbreaking that the court would say this completely preventable destruction was OK,'' Carol Logan, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde, said in a prepared statement.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You issued her decision Friday, dismissing the claim by tribal leaders that the road widening violated their rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
You found that the work didn't "substantially burden'' the tribe's right to exercise its religion.
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2018/03/tribal_members_to_challenge_ju.html
