"Devils Tower is open to all visitors all year. It is not closed in June to CLIMBERS or anyone else.Snowpuppy wrote:There are other places for example Devil's Tower where there is time set aside for the native americans to come and have their religious worship, prayer ceremonies, etc -I'm not about to intrude on someones worship practices (c'mon how would you like it and alot of the "turons" that come through the area will remove sacred objects and prayer bundles-and that's not right either). I myself am all for that for they were here first and it was the arriving "settlers" that took their land to begin with (the native americans never believed in the begining that anyone could own the land-but you can thank the arriving "settlers" for teaching them otherwise-for the native americans are unfortunatly still considered a conquered people).
It does boil down to it is a shame to loose a place to climb and that the appropriate parties weren't able to be contacted and maybe something "worked out" to where it was a win-win situation for both.
Two separate lawsuits challenged this issue. One in 1996 in Wyoming District Court, plaintiffs proved under the First Amendment that Devils Tower cannot be closed for religious reasons and hence that climbing cannot be banned in June or any other month of the year for religious reasons.
The second lawsuit the plaintiffs filed against the Federal Government, NPS, challenged the so called "Voluntary June Closure". The complaint was never reviewed by the courts based on standing. Since the plaintiffs were all climbing in June, the Courts refused to review the climbers complaint because they WERE NOT being stopped from climbing.
Therefore, it is important to realize that the intolerant NPS "Voluntary June Closure" was not tested by the courts. Some would like you to believe that the Courts upheld the "Voluntary June Closure", but they did no such thing. Common Sense dictates and it follows from reason that the high courts refusal to review the complaint for standing reasons is an affirmation that climbing is not being stopped at Devils Tower.
All citizens have equal protection under the law and a right to access public land regardless of their race & religious orientation."
FRIENDS OF DEVILS TOWER
Devils Tower, Wyoming
