Maybe that is why this land is sacred to us

To the editor:

Those who want to mine for coal in our area have verbally attacked some of my family members recently. The prejudices are blatant and rampant. It is causing a deep divide in the community. I think the divide was always there, just not so obvious.

I can’t expect others to understand how we feel about caring for and protecting this land. Some people have been here for many years and they feel that gives them rights to do whatever they please, disregarding everyone else.

But our forbearers have roamed over this area since time immemorial. The bones of our peoples are buried along the trails. There were no cemeteries hundreds of years ago; our ancestors were buried close to where their spirits left their bodies. Maybe that is why this land is sacred to us.

Instructions have been passed down for us to keep this earth clean. That’s why Creator put us here. We have been trying to do that and appreciate so much others who work hard toward that goal.

Patricia Wade

Palmer