Rock-mining stripping beauty from sacred stretch of Route 66.
Crozier Canyon, Ariz.-The beauty and character of Crozier Canyon, a stretch of historic Route 66 sacred to the Hualapai Indian tribe, is being slowly stripped away. For several years now, landowners in the canyon have been mining its scarlet rocks to sell as yard decorations for homes in Las Vegas.
Although legal, this practice has raised the ire of many in the region, particularly the Hualapai tribe. They say that the area is a sacred, old tribal burial ground that is now being destroyed.
"It really bothers the elders, because they hardly get out anymore and when they do, they see [the mining]," said Man Susanyatame, a tribal spiritual leader. "They're hurt by it. When you take something from the earth, you're supposed to give something back. But we're not seeing that here."
Mining of the rocks in Crozier and nearby Truxton canyons is one of the pressing challenges facing the Park Service's Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program-not only because of what the area means to the Hualapai, but also its place in Route 66 lore, said Michael Taylor, a program manager.
"We are trying to protect the views that Americans saw as they traveled up and down the road," said Taylor. "In the old travel guides for Route 66, Crozier Canyon was spoken of quite often. People talked about how beautiful and important it was.
"The more that area is stripped of its beauty," he added, "the less people will take that route and add money to the local economy."
Although saddened and frustrated with the mining, the tribe and other critics say they realize that the miners own the canyon property and have a legal right to do what they wish there.
"We are not in a good position to try to stop this," said Susanyatame, "because it will take lots of money and time. But we will do whatever we can to maintain the countryside that means so much to us."
Taylor has been working to find a way to help the tribe but realizes that there is no easy answer.
"We have indigenous beliefs and values that conflict with the beliefs and values of the property owners," he said.
In the past, the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued storm water runoff permits for mining operations with a consideration for the National Historic Preservation Act, which required the agency to consult with local American Indian tribes and give them an opportunity to identify and limit impact to culturally sensitive properties. Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality now issues those permits, however, and does not require compliance with the preservation act, said Greg Glassco, of the tribe's cultural resources department.
One way to protect and preserve the area would be for the tribe or another group to buy the land and develop a conservation easement for it. Whether the landowners are willing to sell, however, remains unknown.
In an interview with the Arizona Republic, Bob Linsell, whose company mines decorative rock from the area, called the dispute "a sticky situation."
"The [Hualapai] probably have legitimate concerns," he said, "but this is private property."
"It is a difficult situation," agreed Taylor. "But I still don't think it's too late - I think there's time to find a compromise to preserve those scenic, cultural, and sacred qualities."
