Navajo President Shirley on the Importance of San Francisco Peaks to Dine People

Here: President Shirley statement on Sanctity of San Francisco Peaks.

An excerpt:

After centuries of attempts to subdue and vanquish North America’s native people, as Navajo people we are trying to do everything we can to save self, to preserve our identity, and to live by the teachings our ancestors gave to us. Dook’o’osliid is one of our strengths. It is our essence. It is us. When the foreigners decide to desecrate it to make artificial snow for economic interests alone, that does not help my way of life. That does not help my people’s survival. That does not help when I talk to my children and grandchildren about the importance of the Navajo way, and the pride that is to be taken to be Navajo despite all that tells them they and their beliefs are somehow less than others’.