An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is being considered to protect the sacred San Francisco Peaks in Arizona from further development.

The Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and others in the southwest oppose the use of reclaimed wastewater to make snow for a ski resort in the peaks. They lost a ruling before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which said their religious rights aren't violated by the development.

“We’ve been contacted by nearly every Native American nation in the country, because if we lose, it sets a bad precedent,” Rachel Tso, , a volunteer with the Save the Peaks Coalition, told JackNews. “If we lose, all Native Americans lose.”

The 9th Circuit has stayed its decision so the tribes can pursue an appeal or consider other options.

Get the Story:
Snowbowl case might reach Supreme Court (JackCentral 10/23)

9th Circuit Decision:
Navajo Nation v. US Forest Service (August 8, 2008)

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