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Native Americans Fight Shasta Dam Expansion
by Adam Ritscher
This past year has proven to be a hard one for Native American tribes in California. The endured hardships have ranged from state government attacks on Native casinos to Governor Schwartzeneger’s recent vetoing of legislation that would have banned the use of the term “Redskins” by athletic schools in the state.
The most recent battle has broken out in the small community of Shasta Lake along the McCloud River. It is here, along the banks of Shasta Lake, that the Winnemem Wintu nation lives. This small tribe, with only125 members left, clings to a 42-acre ranch in Jones Valley, where 23 Winnemem Wintu still live.
It is also the location of the Shasta Dam, which the government and developers want to expand.
Construction on the original Shasta dam began in 1938. It ended up being one of the largest concrete dams in the world, and despite impassioned opposition from Native peoples, the dam was built and hundreds of acres of their homeland was flooded. The Winnemem Wintu were never compensated for this loss of land. And in fact today the federal government adds insult to injury by refusing to even recognize the Winnemem Wintu as a tribe.
Today’s talk of expanding the dam and reservoir are motivated by the growing need for water in California’s urban centers and for use by corporate agribusiness. The Winnemem Wintu, however, state that even a minimal boost in the reservoir's capacity jeopardizes ceremonial grounds still used by tribe members near where the McCloud joins Shasta Lake. It would also flood tribal burial grounds, a site upon which 42 Natives were massacred at 150 years ago, a place where girls pass into adulthood, called Puberty Rock, and another sacred place called Children's Rock.
To protest this grave threat to their livelihood and identity the Winnemem Wintu held their first war dance since 1887.
According to tribal chief Caleen Sisk-Franco “The war dance itself is a message, a message to the world that we can’t stand to put up with this again. We’ve already lost too many sacred sites to the lake. To lose more is like cutting the legs off all the tribal members.”
A number of environmental activists and other progressives have also come out in opposition to the proposed Shasta Lake dam expansion. It remains to be seen though if California’s pro-business government will be swayed by this moving stand of the beleaguered Winnemem Wintu nation.
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