After 2 months of public pressure, thanks to people around the world, the US Forest Service agreed to close the McCloud River for the Winnemem Wintu Coming of Age ceremony in June-July, 2012. But instead of protecting the Winnemem from harassment, the Forest Service became the biggest harassers, interrupting ceremony every day. By the end of the four days, they had slapped Chief Sisk with citations for federal crimes, with penalties totaling $10,000 in fines or 1 year in jail.
Respectfully tell the FS to rescind the tickets, and respect the Winnemem’s religion! Email FS Chief Tidwell directly at ttidwell@fs.fed.us or (202) 205-8439 as well as Janie Hipp Senior Adviser for Tribal Affairs USDA at janie.hipp@osec.usda.gov.
You can also help by donating to Chief Sisk’s legal defense fund, winnememwintu.us/citations
John Ahniwanika Schertow is an indigenous rights activist of Mohawk (Kanienkehaka) and mixed-European descent. For the past 8 years, he has served as the e... 
The Winnemem Wintu ("middle river people" or "middle water people") are a traditional people originally located along the lower McCloud River, above the Shasta Dam near Redding,... 
as an outsider on the other side of the world I can see this is petty racism sanctioned by the State.