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Tribal bloc about-faces on proposed San Onofre toll road; One faction of Juaneño band OKs deal with transportation agency for $350,000

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 14, 2008 at 8:15 am

From the Los Angeles Times:

A faction of a Native American tribe against a proposed toll road through south Orange County has agreed to drop its opposition — and stands to make $350,000 because of it.

David Belardes, who heads one of four Juaneño groups, said he signed a letter of intent with the Transportation Corridor Agencies by which the toll road operator would help pay for a tribal museum and genealogy studies to further the tribe’s efforts to gain federal recognition. In return, the Belardes’ group requested that the state’s Native American Heritage Commission dismiss the commission’s lawsuit against the TCA seeking to halt the toll road through San Onofre State Beach.

The state attorney general filed the suit on behalf of the commission to prevent the tollway from destroying Panhe, the Juaneños’ ancestral home near San Mateo Creek.

The TCA is in similar negotiations with the other three Juaneño factions. If successful, the deals could strike a serious blow to efforts to stop the toll road. “It was a tough decision,” Belardes said. “But we felt the handwriting was on the wall.”

Belardes, a prominent leader known statewide among Native Americans, was criticized by fellow Juaneños for his decision. But he justified his actions, saying that no matter where “you build that road, you’re going to impact Native American sites.”

“This doesn’t mean I support development. But the agreement helps get us in the process and helps us gain access to land to continue our ceremonies and reburials,” he said.

What effect the proposed agreement will have on the toll road operator’s overall chances to build the turnpike is uncertain. But toll road opponents acknowledged the threat of losing such a powerful ally as the Juaneños would be a serious blow.

Joe Ocampo, who heads one of the factions, said his group was still against the toll road. “Does it weaken the opposition? The TCA would like to convey the thought that it is weakening,” Ocampo said. “But I still think we have the strongest support against the toll road.”

Read the full text of this story from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

June 14, 2008 · Filed Under San Onofre Toll Road

Comments

One Response to “Tribal bloc about-faces on proposed San Onofre toll road; One faction of Juaneño band OKs deal with transportation agency for $350,000”

Robert Garcia on June 14th, 2008 10:38 pm

United Coalition to Protect Panhe and The City Project remain committed to stopping the toll road to save the sacred Native American site of Panhe and protect the rights of Acjachemen people. “Rebecca Robles, a Juaneño from San Clemente who helped found a coalition to save Panhe, was disappointed but reluctant to criticize Belardes publicly. ‘It’s not over yet,’ she said. ‘We just have to continue to build support to protect our sacred site,’” as reported in the Los Angeles Times.

TCA has been trying to buy compliance for the toll road since September 2007 when they offered $100 million to others to buy compliance. If they are now offering only $350,000 to Native Americans to buy compliance, why does TCA value Native American rights so cheaply? TCA has spent more time and money studying pocket mice than studying Acjachemen life, culture, and history.

Mr. Belardes as one tribal leader does not speak for all Acjachemen tribal members on the toll road, just as Arnold Schwarznegger does not speak for all the people of California on the toll road.

The Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) submitted public comments to the United States Department of Commerce May 27, 2008, stating that the Commission agrees with the California Coastal Commission: “The NAHC agrees with the determination of the Coastal Commission that the proposed mitigation will not reduce adverse impacts to below a level of insignificance. The NAHC believes that the impacts to the Juaneno people who use the site of Panhe for ceremony are completely unmitigated.”

Tribal Chair Joe O’Campo, Tribal Chair Sonia Johnston, and the United Coalition to Protect Panhe sent letters in May to the Native American Heritage Commission asking the Commission to continue prosecuting the litigation against the toll road.

According to Mr. Belardes, discussions with TCA to establish safeguards in the event the toll road is established should not be interpreted as supporting development. Letter from David Belardes and Joyce Perry to The City Project, May 14, 2008.

This information is included in the public comments to save Panhe and San Onofre and stop the toll road that United Coalition to Protect Panhe and The City Project submitted to the Commerce Department in May 2008. The public comments are available for downloading at http://www.savepanhe.org and http://www.savesanonofre.org.

Robert Garcia, Executive Director and Counsel of The City Project.