Feb. 20, 2017  (12:15 – 1:15 pm)
Room 250
Beus Center for Law and Society at Downtown Phoenix campus

Free and open to the public. Food will be reserved to those who RSVP to ILP@asu.edu. We hope you will join us!

Mount Graham, or Dzil Nchaa Si An in Western Apache, is one of the highest mountains in southern Arizona and is of extraordinary importance from both an ecological and Western Apache perspective.  Ecologically, one finds Sonoran desert at the base and Hudsonian boreal forest at the peak, where a number of endemic species, including the highly endangered Mt. Graham red squirrel.  It is also part of the original homeland of Western Apache people, with deep religious and cultural significance.   Since the 1970’s, tension has existed between the University of Arizona’s desire to use Mt. Graham as the location for a number of astronomical facilities and the concerns of Western Apaches, especially the San Carlos tribe, and others who care about the ecological and religious aspects of Mt. Graham.  Decades of conflict have resulted in construction by the University of the Mt. Graham International Observatory , with help from Congress which waived the full applicability of important environmental laws.  The Mount Graham Coalition provides education and technical assistance to people about Mt. Graham and seeks to work for the ecological preservation of Mt. Graham and respect for Apache interests.  This program will provide an overview of the history and current situation regarding Mt. Graham and the ongoing conflicts.

Panelists:

• Dinah Bear Board Member, Mt. Graham Coalition
• Roger Featherstone President, Mt. Graham Coalition
• Dr. John Welch Professor, Department of Archaeology & School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University