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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 27 december 2022

Law protects export of sacred Native American items from US

By FELICIA FONSECA ing U.S. senators, diplomats
Associated Press and prosecutors. The circu-
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — lar, colorful shield featuring
Federal penalties have the face of a Kachina, or
increased under a newly ancestral spirit, had been
signed law intended to held at a Paris auction
protect the cultural patri- house.
mony of Native American — In 2014, the Navajo Na-
tribes, immediately making tion sent its vice president
some crimes a felony and to Paris to bid on items be-
doubling the prison time for lieved to be used in winter-
anyone convicted of mul- time healing ceremonies
tiple offenses. after diplomacy and a plea
President Joe Biden signed to return the items failed.
the Safeguard Tribal Ob- The tribe secured several
jects of Patrimony Act on items, spending $9,000.
Dec. 21, a bill that had —In 2013, the Annenberg
been introduced since Foundation quietly bought
2016. Along with stiffer pen- nearly two dozen ceremo-
alties, it prohibits the export nial items at an auction in
of sacred Native American Paris and later returned
items from the U.S. and cre- them to the Hopi, the San
ates a certification process A Native American feather bonnet from 1890 made of eagle feathers, rooster hackles, wood rods, Carlos Apache and the
to distinguish art from sa- porcupine hair, wool cloth, felt, and glass beads, is displayed as part of the exhibition, "Go West! White Mountain Apache
cred items. Art of the American Frontier from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West," at the High Museum of Art on tribes in Arizona. The tribes
The effort largely was in- Oct. 31, 2013, in Atlanta. Associated Press said the items invoke the
spired by pueblo tribes in spirit of their ancestors and
New Mexico and Arizona domestic laws that protect would be shielded from Tribes have seen some wins were taken in the late 19th
who repeatedly saw sa- tribal cultural heritage with public records laws. over the years: and 20th centuries.
cred objects up for auction an existing international While dealers and collec- — In 2019, Finland agreed The STOP Act ties in with the
in France. Tribal leaders is- mechanism." tors often see the items as to return ancestral remains Native American Graves
sued passionate pleas for The law creates an export art to be displayed and of Native American tribes Protection and Repatria-
the return of the items but certification system that preserved, tribes view the that once called the cliffs tion Act that requires mu-
were met with resistance would help clarify whether objects as living beings of Mesa Verde National seums and universities that
and the reality that the U.S. items were created as art held in community, said Park in southern Colorado receive federal funds to
had no mechanism to pre- and provides a path for the Brian Vallo, a consultant on home. The remains and ar- disclose Native American
vent the items from leaving voluntary return of items repatriation. tifacts were unearthed by a items in their possession,
the country. that are part of a tribe's "These items remain sa- Swedish researcher in 1891 inventory them, and notify
"The STOP Act is really born cultural heritage. Federal cred, they will never lose and held in the collection and transfer those items to
out of that problem and agencies would work with their significance," said of the national Museum of affiliated tribes and Native
hearing it over and over," Native Americans, Alaska Vallo, a former governor Finland. Hawaiians or descendants.
said attorney Katie Klass, Natives and Native Hawai- of Acoma Pueblo in New — That same year, a cer- The Interior Department
who represents Acoma ians to outline what items Mexico. "They will never emonial shield that van- has proposed a number
Pueblo on the matter and is should not leave the U.S. lose their power and place ished from Acoma Pueblo of changes to strengthen
a citizen of the Wyandotte and to seek items back. as a cultural item. And it is in the 1970s was returned NAGPRA and is taking pub-
Nation of Oklahoma. "It's re- Information provided by for this reason that we are to the tribe after a nearly lic comment on them until
ally designed to link existing tribes about those items so concerned." four-year campaign involv- mid-January.q

3 Washington state electric substations

vandalized

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — tic extremists have been 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Vandalism at three pow- developing "credible, spe- Meanwhile, just before
er substations in western cific plans" to attack elec- noon, Puget Sound Energy
Washington early Sunday tricity infrastructure since at reported vandalism that
initially cut power to about least 2020. had happened at about
14,000 utility customers, the Tacoma Public Utilities re- 2:30 a.m. Sunday caused
Pierce County Sheriff's Of- ported vandalism at about a power outage at one of
fice said. 5:30 a.m. Sunday at one its substations. The nearly
The attacks come as feder- substation, followed by 7,700 customers who lost
al officials are warning that vandalism at a second sub- power had it restored by 5
the U.S. power grid needs station, the sheriff's office a.m., Puget Sound spokes- A Tacoma Power crew works at an electrical substation
better security to prevent said. The outages affected person Andrew Padula damaged by vandals early on Christmas morning, Sunday, Dec.
domestic terrorism and af- about 7,300 customers in said. The company is inves- 25, 2022, in Graham, Wa.
ter a large outage in North an area southeast of Taco- tigating, along with authori- Associated Press
Carolina earlier this month ma. Just before noon, the ties, and declined to com- fenced area surrounding the substations were dam-
that took days to repair. utility had restored power ment further, Padula said. the substations and dam- aged. No suspects are in
In January, a U.S. Depart- to all but 2,700 customers In all three cases, the sher- aged equipment to cause custody and officials don't
ment of Homeland Security whose power was estimat- iff's office says someone a power outage. know if it was a coordinat-
report warned that domes- ed to be restored at about forced their way into the Officials have not said how ed attack.q