Sacred sites an issue for tribes and firefighters

Thursday, August 2, 2007  

Tribes in California are working with local and federal officials to ensure sacred sites are protected during wildfires.

The cooperation has been a success, officials say. Artifacts and sites have been protected in nearly every major wildfire in the last few years.

It wasn't always that way. In 2002, fire crews bulldozed several archaeological sites as they were battling a blaze.

Now the tribes are working with the state and federal government to identify and catalog important sites. The knowledge was used during a fire last month and bulldozers were able to avoid sacred Paiute and Shoshone sites.

Get the Story:
Tribes, firefighters cooperate to save sacred sites (The Los Angeles Times 8/2)
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