Comparing Holy, Honored, and Sacred Sites
Our ancestors, when they were about to die, made us promise to remember where their bones were buried. The location of the bones of our families, our friends, and our warriors was significant to us because of the prominence the Mound Culture had on our people. We promised to never forget, we would always honor and remember them for their sacrifices for our people. The Mounds were not just burial places, they were gathering places, places of worship, places of prayer, a sacred and holy place to our people. These are the Mounds of the Mississippi River Valley Drainage system.
Our holy, honored, and sacred sites are all along the Tennessee River valley system. Our mounds served notice to our people as physical reminders of our culture and faith. The mounds called us back to our social and political moorings set out for us to follow for well over a thousand years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our culture, our way of life, our religion is embedded in the mounds and the location of the bones of our ancestors are sacred and holy to our people.
How can it be illegal for our people to access our most holy, honored, and sacred sites when other tribes, including our enemies are allowed to go to our sites to pillage and plunder them? How can it be illegal to have the items from our sacred sites when other tribes, including our enemies are allowed to go to our sites to pillage and plunder them?
Many of our most sacred, holy, and honored sites are deluged and under water, how can we access them to honor the requests of our ancestors? One of our most holy and honored sites is in the middle of a state park in Tennessee where hikers, campers and others trod over the graves of our warriors who were massacred. Why can the pets of park visitors pee and poop on the graves of our massacred warriors?
Here is what it looks like at many of our sacred sites
This is what happened to the Lower Town Villages
Now let us compare our most holy, honored, and sacred sites to the most holy, honored, and sacred site of the United States. The United States has a revered location where the bones of their warrior ancestors are buried. It is Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The most holy, honored, and sacred site of the United States and its military.
Senator Tom Cotton protected the Tomb of the Unknown, he understands how hallowed and honored that site is to the United States.
Now can you imagine inundating Arlington National Cemetery with trillions of gallons of water daily? Can you imagine allowing hikers and campers to trod over the graves of those retired in this hallowed location? Can you imagine the pets of the visitors being allowed to pee and poop all over the graves of the fallen at Arlington?
Can you imagine the Marine Corp not being allowed to Guard the Tomb of the Unknown because it is illegal for them to do so? Can you imagine NAZI soldiers being allowed to go in and plunder the Tomb or camp and picnic at the Tomb? Can you further imagine Russian, Chinese or Iranian soldiers coming over and desecrating the Tomb while being protected by the laws of the United States to do so?
The Congress of the United States has passed laws making it illegal for us to access our holy, honored, and sacred sites, while our enemies, and other tribes are given access to the locations of the bones of our ancestors.
(C) This document was produced at the request of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on July 18, 2019, to document the History, Anthropology, Culture, Religion, and Archaeology of The Chickamauga Nation.