Petition in Support of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe

The Winnemem are the people of the McCloud River .  They have sacrificed so much already for California ’s insatiable thirst for water and power.  In the 19^th Century, the Winnemem suffered massacres along the McCloud River .  Their lands and life-ways were taken from them in the early 20^th century.  Then Shasta Dam and lake submerged villages, ceremonial, and burial sites along their river.  Now, in the 21^st Century, the raising of Shasta Dam threatens to destroy what is left for this ancient traditional band of Indians.

The raising of Shasta Dam is not necessary.  The expensive study being done on raising the dam is wasting taxpayer money.  Plumbing solutions have always proven to fall short of providing sustainable water supplies.  There are alternatives that would provide more water than this outmoded dam-raising idea, including improving management of the current reservoir, upstream monitoring, and other water storage and conservation programs.

When Shasta Dam was constructed, the people of the United States passed a law (50.  Stat. 612) PL 180-77 promising the Winnemem funds, lands, and a burial ground to be held in trust for the tribe.  These promises were not kept.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, support the Winnemem Wintu Tribe effort’s to finally obtain justice, for restoration of tribal status and to protect the McCloud River, tribal sacred sites and the salmon, and we call on Congress, the State of California, the US Bureau of Reclamation and CALFED to stop studying the raising of Shasta Dam and, instead, to explore alternative ways to provide more water for California’s cities, agriculture, and the environment.

Name                            Contact Information                                             Signature

Please send letters and signed petitions to the Winnemem Wintu Tribe:

Attention Mark Franco.

Winnemem Wintu Tribe
14840 Bear Mountain Road
Redding , CA 96003
530-275-2737

All donations for our efforts are welcome.  Please send checks made out to The Cultural Conservancy and note that it is for the Winnemem Fund.  TCC is a non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible.  (www.nativelands.org) The Cultural Conservancy P.O. Box 29044 Presidio Station San Francisco, CA 94129 (415) 561-6594