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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2002

An inter-tribal and environmental dispute over a well-known California landmark has cost one Native man his life-long prayer ceremony.

John Burch, a member of the Salinan Tribe, had received a permit to pray on Morro Rock. Normally, the rock is closed off to visitors and climbers because it is home to peregrine falcons, a protected species.

So when the Chumash Tribe, which also considers the rock sacred, and environmentalists heard about Burch's visits, they moved to have his permit revoked. Resolution of the dispute is now in limbo.

Get the Story:
Messy Affair Plays Out Atop a Famed Rock (The Los Angeles Times 2/7)