[CPEO-MEF] Cowlitz tribe letter on Camp Bonneville (WA)

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Cowlitz Indian Tribe
February 24, 2005

To:

Lieutenant General James Dubik
Commanding General, 1st Corps
Fort Lewis, WA 98433

Dear General Dubik,

I have been informed of a serious cultural issue pertaining to Camp 
Bonneville, Clark County, WA. There is a recorded prehistoric campsite, 
or basically a Native American Camp location, which is labeled site 
#45CL318. It is very disturbing that I found out that the Cowlitz Indian 
Tribe was not notified of its existence when it was investigated in 
2003, after our Federal Acknowledgement. It is also very disturbing that 
this site has been further degraded back in the late 1980's through the 
construction of a gunfire range over the top of a recorded prehistoric 
campsite #45CL318. It is even more disturbing that tribal 
representatives witnessed in January of 2005, that the gunfire range 
which is located on or very close to a prehistoric campsite labeled 
#45CL318 is still in use for shooting practice by the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation (FBI), while at the same time, the US Army and the Cowlitz 
Indian Tribe are trying to work together in rectifying serious cultural 
concerns our Tribe has on Camp Bonneville, WA. I would like to strongly 
request that the US Army ask the FBI to cease any dealings or actions on 
the Camp Bonneville, WA property, until the site is professionally 
investigated. I also request that Camp Bonneville is properly secured 
through adequate fencing and sign posting around the perimeter of the 
property, much like the fending present on the west end of the Camp 
Bonneville property near the main entrance gate. It has come to my 
attention that adequate fencing and sign postings would serve not only 
to protect our cultural concerns, but serve to protect the surrounding 
neighborhood children from accessing unexploded ordinance [sic]. I would 
thank you dearly for your quick response over this matter.

Sincerely Yours,

John Barnett
Chairman for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe
Longview, Washington

--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org

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