Protect Winnemem Wintu Tribe Puberty Ceremony
Please sign this petition to urge Senator Boxer to assist the Winnemem Wintu Tribe in navigating the Federal bureaucracy so that they can hold their Puberty ceremony without interruption or interference. The Winnemem Wintu Tribe comes from the McCloud River. Their Puberty Ceremony takes place on the McCloud River on Forest Service land. The Forest Service is declining to allow the Tribe exclusive access of the campground and stretch of River necessary for the ceremony.
We the undersigned urge you, Senator Boxer, to intercede on behalf of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe to assure that they are given the respect and dignity they deserve to hold their Puberty Ceremony without interruption or interference. The Tribe has acted in good faith, has already experienced the racism and hatred that comes when they practice their ceremonies in public, and has exhausted all known avenues to secure the privacy they require to perform their ceremony. The Ceremony is quickly approaching and you urgent action is needed.
We thank you for being a champion for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe and look forward to your help so that together we can ensure that the Tribe enjoys the same respect and dignity that the rest of us take for granted.
